Phenotypic plasticity is broadly adaptive across an elevation gradient in the Cutleaf Monkeyflower.

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary Biology
• Ecology
• Plant Sciences

Background:

• Phenotypic plasticity allows organisms to adapt to environmental changes.
• The adaptive value of plasticity depends on its alignment with the environmental conditions and the species' adaptive landscape.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the fitness consequences of leaf shape plasticity in Mimulus laciniatus across an elevational gradient.
• To determine if plasticity is associated with differential survival and fecundity in distinct habitats.

Main Methods:

• Reciprocal transplant experiment in native low- and high-elevation habitats.
• Utilized recombinant inbred lines (RILs) previously phenotyped for plasticity.
• Measured survival and fecundity across different elevations.

Main Results:

• RILs with high-elevation plasticity showed increased survival at high elevations.
• Low-elevation plasticity correlated with higher fecundity at both elevations.
• High-elevation plasticity conferred a survival advantage over non-plastic genotypes at high elevations.

Conclusions:

• Plasticity in leaf shape can be broadly beneficial across a species' range.
• The direction of plasticity may not always be locally adaptive, but plasticity itself can enhance fitness.
• This suggests a complex interplay between plasticity and adaptation in heterogeneous environments.