Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Emerging Adulthood

Emerging Adulthood

Jeffrey Arnett's concept of emerging adulthood offers a framework to understand the unique developmental stage between adolescence and full-fledged adulthood, generally from ages 18 to 25. This period is marked by extensive exploration and shifts in identity, relationships, and career choices, a process known in psychology as role experimentation. Emerging adulthood reflects the evolving cultural expectations surrounding adulthood and the dynamic process of personal transformation during...

Plasticity

Plasticity

Plasticity is the property where an object loses its elasticity and undergoes irreversible deformation, even after the deformation forces are eliminated. If a material deforms irreversibly without increasing stress or load, then this is called ideal plasticity. For example, when a force is applied to an aluminum rod, it changes its shape, but it does not return to its original shape once the force is removed. Plastic deformation or ductility is thus a permanent deformation or change in the...

Plasticizers

Plasticizers

Water-reducers, or plasticizers, are chemical admixtures used in concrete to improve strength and workability. These additives reduce the water-cement ratio without compromising workability, lower the cement content while maintaining the same workability, or increase workability to assist concrete placement in inaccessible areas.
Plasticizers function by using surface-active agents to create repulsive electrostatic forces between cement particles. This dispersion enhances the concrete's...

Plastic Behavior

Plastic Behavior

A material's elastic behavior is characterized by the disappearance of stress once the load is removed, allowing the material to return to its original state. However, when stress surpasses the yield point, yielding commences, marking the onset of plastic deformation or permanent set. This change from elastic to plastic behavior is influenced by the peak stress value and the duration before the load is removed. An intriguing observation occurs when a specimen is loaded, unloaded, and...

Plastic Deformations

Plastic Deformations

It is essential to understand how structural members behave under plastic deformation when the bending stress exceeds the material's yield strength. This state of deformation permanently alters the shape of the member, in contrast to the linear elastic behavior observed before yielding. The strain at any point in the member is expressed in terms of maximum strain. Notably, the neutral axis, which coincides with the centroid during elastic bending, shifts away from the centroid under plastic...

Plastic Deformations

Plastic Deformations

Plastic deformation represents a fundamental concept in materials science, which explains the irreversible change in the shape of a material when it experiences stress beyond its elastic capability. This phenomenon is important in structural engineering, especially in designing and analyzing cantilever beams—structures that are securely fixed at one end and bear loads at the opposite end. When these beams are subjected to loads within their elastic range, they will return to their...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Genomic parallelism defines repeated evolution of an inducible offense.

Science advances·2025

Same author

The Amphibian Genomics Consortium: advancing genomic and genetic resources for amphibian research and conservation.

BMC genomics·2024

Same author

Assessment and the regulation of adaptive phenotypic plasticity.

Development (Cambridge, England)·2024

Same author

Evolution of transmissible cancers: An adaptive, plastic strategy of selfish genetic elements?

iScience·2024

Same author

The Amphibian Genomics Consortium: advancing genomic and genetic resources for amphibian research and conservation.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2024

Same author

Genetic regulators of a resource polyphenism interact to couple predatory morphology and behaviour.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2024

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 8, 2026

Analysis of the Development of a Morphological Phenotype as a Function of Protein Concentration in Budding Yeast

Analysis of the Development of a Morphological Phenotype as a Function of Protein Concentration in Budding Yeast

Published on: March 24, 2010

Morphological novelty emerges from pre-existing phenotypic plasticity.

Nicholas A Levis¹, Andrew J Isdaner², David W Pfennig²

¹Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. nicholasalevis@gmail.com.

Nature Ecology & Evolution

|July 11, 2018

Summary

Plasticity-first evolution explains how new traits emerge by refining existing adaptability. This study shows how diet-induced plasticity in amphibians led to a novel carnivore form, supporting this evolutionary theory.

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Unraveling Plant Responses to Abiotic Stresses Using the PlantScreen Robotic Platform

Author Spotlight: Unraveling Plant Responses to Abiotic Stresses Using the PlantScreen Robotic Platform

Published on: June 7, 2024

Use of Pre-Assembled Plastic Microfluidic Chips for Compartmentalizing Primary Murine Neurons

Use of Pre-Assembled Plastic Microfluidic Chips for Compartmentalizing Primary Murine Neurons

Published on: November 2, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 8, 2026

Analysis of the Development of a Morphological Phenotype as a Function of Protein Concentration in Budding Yeast

Analysis of the Development of a Morphological Phenotype as a Function of Protein Concentration in Budding Yeast

Published on: March 24, 2010

Author Spotlight: Unraveling Plant Responses to Abiotic Stresses Using the PlantScreen Robotic Platform

Author Spotlight: Unraveling Plant Responses to Abiotic Stresses Using the PlantScreen Robotic Platform

Published on: June 7, 2024

Use of Pre-Assembled Plastic Microfluidic Chips for Compartmentalizing Primary Murine Neurons

Use of Pre-Assembled Plastic Microfluidic Chips for Compartmentalizing Primary Murine Neurons

Published on: November 2, 2018

Area of Science:

Evolutionary Biology
Developmental Biology
Ecology

Background:

Plasticity-first evolution (PFE) proposes that novel traits originate from selection acting on pre-existing phenotypic plasticity.
Empirical evidence for PFE in natural populations remains limited, making its role in evolutionary innovation debated.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of PFE in the evolution of a novel carnivore morph in spadefoot toad tadpoles.
To compare the developmental plasticity and adaptive refinement of this trait across three species with varying carnivore production.

Main Methods:

Comparative analysis of tadpole morphology, gene expression, and growth across three spadefoot toad species (Scaphiopus holbrookii, Spea multiplicata, Spea bombifrons).
Tadpoles were reared on alternative diets to assess diet-induced phenotypic plasticity and its subsequent refinement.
Examined gene expression patterns related to diet-induced morphological changes.

Main Results:

Scaphiopus holbrookii exhibited diet-induced plasticity in morphology and gene expression, consistent with initial PFE.
Spea multiplicata showed adaptive refinement of diet-induced plasticity, progressing towards the carnivore morph.
Spea bombifrons displayed further refinement of the carnivore phenotype, often independent of diet, indicating advanced PFE.

Conclusions:

The study provides strong evidence for PFE driving the evolution of a novel carnivore morph in amphibians.
Phenotypic plasticity plays a crucial, though often underestimated, role in fostering evolutionary innovation and niche expansion.
The findings support the broader significance of PFE in generating evolutionary novelties across diverse taxa.