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Updated: Mar 19, 2026

Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations

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Published on: February 3, 2023

Phenotypic Evolution With and Beyond Genome Evolution.

¹Institut de Biologie Ecole Normale Supérieure, CNRS, Paris, France.

Current Topics in Developmental Biology

|June 11, 2016

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Phenotype development involves complex interactions between DNA, the organism, and its environment. This review highlights how these factors jointly shape evolutionary processes across generations.

Keywords:

Development Environment Epigenetics Epistasis Evolution Genotype–phenotype map Heredity Mutational variance Parental effect Plasticity

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Last Updated: Mar 19, 2026

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Area of Science:

Evolutionary biology
Developmental biology
Genetics

Background:

DNA is not the sole determinant of phenotypes.
Phenotype construction involves intricate DNA-environment-organism interactions.
Understanding these interactions is crucial for evolutionary biology.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the process of phenotype construction.
To examine interactions between DNA, organism, and environment across evolutionary timescales.
To integrate recent findings on phenotypic variation and evolution.

Main Methods:

Literature review integrating recent results and examples.
Analysis of phenotype construction at individual and population levels.
Examination of genetic and environmental influences on variation and inheritance.

Main Results:

DNA acts as a template and is involved in feedback loops during phenotype construction.
Phenotypic variation arises from joint stochastic, environmental, genetic, and parental sources.
Genotype and environment exhibit distinct properties in variation, transmission, and feedback across generations.

Conclusions:

Phenotype construction is a dynamic process influenced by multiple interacting factors.
Evolutionary processes are shaped by the interplay of DNA, organism, and environment.
This review adds depth to the standard evolutionary synthesis by emphasizing these interactions.