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The interplay between plasticity and evolution in response to human-induced environmental change
Sarah E Diamond1, Ryan A Martin1
1Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
F1000Research
|December 23, 2016
Summary
Organisms face environmental change, with plasticity and evolution determining survival. Understanding how plasticity facilitates adaptive evolution is crucial for predicting population persistence amid human-induced changes.
Area of Science:
- Ecology and evolutionary biology
- Environmental change research
Background:
- Environmental change poses survival challenges for populations.
- Organismal responses, including plasticity and evolution, are key to persistence.
- Current research often isolates plasticity and evolution, overlooking their interplay.
Approach:
- Investigating the role of phenotypic plasticity in facilitating adaptive evolution.
- Examining how environmental novelty influences cryptic genetic variation.
- Synthesizing evidence on plasticity's contribution to evolutionary rescue under novel conditions.
Key Points:
- Phenotypic plasticity can influence the direction and rate of evolution.
- Environmental novelty may reveal cryptic genetic variation, enabling adaptation.
- The interaction between plasticity and evolution is critical for population persistence in changing environments.
Conclusions:
- Plasticity can be a major driver of adaptive evolution, especially under novel environmental conditions.
- Further research is needed to quantify the frequency and extent to which plasticity facilitates adaptive evolutionary change.
- Understanding these mechanisms is vital for forecasting species' responses to human-induced environmental change.
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