Evaluating 'Plasticity-First' Evolution in Nature: Key Criteria and Empirical Approaches.

Abstract excerpt

Many biologists are asking whether environmentally initiated phenotypic change (i.e., 'phenotypic plasticity') precedes, and even facilitates, evolutionary adaptation. However, this 'plasticity-first' hypothesis remains controversial, primarily because comprehensive tests from natural populations are generally lacking. We briefly describe the plasticity-first hypothesis and present much-needed key criteria to...

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