Article
Morphological novelty emerges from pre-existing phenotypic plasticity.
Nature ecology & evolution - 1 Aug 2018
Levis Nicholas A, Isdaner Andrew J, Pfennig David W
Abstract excerpt
Plasticity-first evolution (PFE) posits that novel features arise when selection refines pre-existing phenotypic plasticity into an adaptive phenotype. However, PFE is controversial because few tests have been conducted in natural populations. Here we present evidence that PFE fostered the origin of an evolutionary novelty that allowed certain amphibians to invade a new niche-a distinctive carnivore morph. We...
Topics
- Adaptation, Physiological
- Animals
- Anura
- Biological Evolution
- Feeding Behavior
- Gene Expression
- Larva
- Phenotype