Hormesis Promotes Evolutionary Change.

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary biology
• Genetics
• Environmental science

Background:

• Environmental stress is a key driver of evolutionary processes.
• Hormesis, a phenomenon where low doses of a stressor are beneficial, is increasingly recognized in evolutionary contexts.
• Understanding stress responses is crucial for predicting evolutionary trajectories.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review evidence supporting hormesis as an evolutionary expectation.
• To explore genetic and phenotypic responses to moderate stress compatible with hormesis.
• To discuss molecular mechanisms enabling adaptation to stressful environments.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of studies on genetic and phenotypic responses to moderate environmental stress.
• Analysis of examples illustrating hormesis in evolutionary theory paradigms.
• Identification of molecular mechanisms underlying hormetic responses.

Main Results:

• Moderate stress exposure can be a source of evolutionary change.
• Examples demonstrate genetic and phenotypic plasticity compatible with hormesis.
• Mechanisms like genetic recombination and gene expression facilitate adaptation.

Conclusions:

• Hormesis is a plausible evolutionary expectation.
• Molecular mechanisms allow organisms to maintain or increase fitness under stress.
• These principles apply across diverse life forms, from plants to vertebrates.