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Local adaptation in transgenerational responses to predators.

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This summary is machine-generated.

Environmental stability drives the evolution of transgenerational plasticity (TGP) in Daphnia. Temporal variation favors within-generation responses, while stable conditions select for TGP, showing local adaptation in phenotypic plasticity.

Keywords:
ecological epigeneticslife-history evolutionmaternal effectsphenotypic plasticity

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Ecology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Environmental signals can induce phenotypic changes across generations, a phenomenon known as transgenerational plasticity (TGP).
  • Theoretical models suggest temporal stability in environmental conditions is a key factor in the evolution of TGP.
  • Understanding the drivers of TGP is crucial for predicting species' responses to environmental change.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To test the prediction that temporal stability drives the evolution of TGP.
  • To investigate local adaptation in TGP using natural populations of zooplankton.
  • To determine how different patterns of environmental mortality influence within-generation plasticity and TGP.

Main Methods:

  • Studied natural populations of Daphnia ambigua from nine lakes in Connecticut with varying predator-induced mortality.
  • Reared over 120 clones across multiple generations under controlled conditions with and without predator cues.
  • Quantified phenotypic responses to assess within-generation plasticity and TGP.

Main Results:

  • Temporal variation in mortality selected for within-generation plasticity.
  • Consistently strong or weak mortality regimes selected for increased transgenerational plasticity.
  • Demonstrated the first evidence for local adaptation in TGP.

Conclusions:

  • Ecological conditions, specifically the temporal stability of mortality, shape the evolution of phenotypic plasticity.
  • Divergent selection pressures lead to distinct adaptive strategies, either within-generation plasticity or transgenerational plasticity.
  • Findings highlight the importance of environmental dynamics in evolutionary adaptation and species' resilience.