Rapid evolution of phenotypic plasticity in patchy habitats
Abstract Phenotypic plasticity may evolve rapidly, enabling a population’s persistence in the face of sudden environmental change. Rapid evolution can occur when there is considerable genetic polymorphism at selected loci. We propose that balancing selection could be one of the mechanisms that susta...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-45912-8 |
| _version_ | 1827764524795559936 |
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| author | Nawsheen T. Promy Mitchell Newberry Davorka Gulisija |
| author_facet | Nawsheen T. Promy Mitchell Newberry Davorka Gulisija |
| author_sort | Nawsheen T. Promy |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Phenotypic plasticity may evolve rapidly, enabling a population’s persistence in the face of sudden environmental change. Rapid evolution can occur when there is considerable genetic polymorphism at selected loci. We propose that balancing selection could be one of the mechanisms that sustain such polymorphism for plasticity. We use stochastic Monte Carlo simulations and deterministic analysis to investigate the evolution of a plasticity modifier locus in structured populations inhabiting favorable and adverse environments, i.e. patchy habitats. We survey a wide range of parameters including selective pressures on a target (structural) locus, plasticity effects, population sizes, and migration patterns between demes including periodic or continuous bidirectional and source-sink dynamics. We find that polymorphism in phenotypic plasticity can be maintained under a wide range of environmental scenarios in both favorable and adverse environments due to the balancing effect of population structure in patchy habitats. This effect offers a new plausible explanation for the rapid evolution of plasticity in nature: Phenotypic plasticity may rapidly evolve from genetic variation maintained by balancing selection if the population has experienced immigration from populations under different selection regimes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T11:05:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a915ddef8da64d1dbd218d810f4733ba |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T11:05:39Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-a915ddef8da64d1dbd218d810f4733ba2023-11-12T12:14:34ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222023-11-0113111410.1038/s41598-023-45912-8Rapid evolution of phenotypic plasticity in patchy habitatsNawsheen T. Promy0Mitchell Newberry1Davorka Gulisija2Department of Computer Science, University of New MexicoCenter for the Study of Complex Systems, University of MichiganDepartment of Computer Science, University of New MexicoAbstract Phenotypic plasticity may evolve rapidly, enabling a population’s persistence in the face of sudden environmental change. Rapid evolution can occur when there is considerable genetic polymorphism at selected loci. We propose that balancing selection could be one of the mechanisms that sustain such polymorphism for plasticity. We use stochastic Monte Carlo simulations and deterministic analysis to investigate the evolution of a plasticity modifier locus in structured populations inhabiting favorable and adverse environments, i.e. patchy habitats. We survey a wide range of parameters including selective pressures on a target (structural) locus, plasticity effects, population sizes, and migration patterns between demes including periodic or continuous bidirectional and source-sink dynamics. We find that polymorphism in phenotypic plasticity can be maintained under a wide range of environmental scenarios in both favorable and adverse environments due to the balancing effect of population structure in patchy habitats. This effect offers a new plausible explanation for the rapid evolution of plasticity in nature: Phenotypic plasticity may rapidly evolve from genetic variation maintained by balancing selection if the population has experienced immigration from populations under different selection regimes.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-45912-8 |
| spellingShingle | Nawsheen T. Promy Mitchell Newberry Davorka Gulisija Rapid evolution of phenotypic plasticity in patchy habitats Scientific Reports |
| title | Rapid evolution of phenotypic plasticity in patchy habitats |
| title_full | Rapid evolution of phenotypic plasticity in patchy habitats |
| title_fullStr | Rapid evolution of phenotypic plasticity in patchy habitats |
| title_full_unstemmed | Rapid evolution of phenotypic plasticity in patchy habitats |
| title_short | Rapid evolution of phenotypic plasticity in patchy habitats |
| title_sort | rapid evolution of phenotypic plasticity in patchy habitats |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-45912-8 |
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