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Published on: November 23, 2011
Phenotypic plasticity is broadly adaptive across an elevation gradient in the Cutleaf Monkeyflower.
Jill M Love1, Kathleen G Ferris1
1Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, 6823 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA, 70118, USA.
The New Phytologist
|June 19, 2026
Summary
Phenotypic plasticity in Mimulus laciniatus leaf shape offers survival benefits across elevations. The direction of this plasticity is influenced by local environmental conditions, suggesting broad adaptive advantages.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Plant ecology
- Genetics
Background:
- Phenotypic plasticity allows organisms to adapt to environmental changes.
- The evolutionary impact of plasticity depends on its alignment with adaptive landscapes.
- Mimulus laciniatus, a California wildflower, exhibits leaf shape plasticity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the fitness consequences of leaf shape plasticity in Mimulus laciniatus along an elevational gradient.
- To determine if plasticity is adaptive and how selection varies across different elevations.
- To test predictions about selection against low-elevation plasticity and for high-elevation plasticity.
Main Methods:
- A reciprocal transplant experiment was conducted using Mimulus laciniatus.
- Recombinant inbred lines (RILs) were used, with prior phenotyping for plasticity under controlled conditions.
- Survival and fecundity were measured in native low- and high-elevation habitats.
Main Results:
- Contrary to expectations, plastic RILs showed higher fitness than nonplastic genotypes across all elevations.
- High-elevation plasticity (increased leaf lobing under long days) correlated with successful seed set at high elevations.
- Low-elevation plasticity (increased leaf lobing under short days) was linked to higher fecundity across all elevations.
Conclusions:
- Phenotypic plasticity in leaf shape is broadly beneficial for Mimulus laciniatus across its geographic range.
- Selection favors plasticity, but the optimal direction of plasticity varies with local environmental conditions.
- This study highlights the complex interplay between plasticity, local adaptation, and fitness in a wild plant population.
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