Assessing the role of phenotypic plasticity in evolutionary responses to... [Stevens Ii, Dale R.] скачать в хорошем качестве

Assessing the role of phenotypic plasticity in evolutionary responses to... [Stevens Ii, Dale R.]

Dale R. Stevens II, Matthew A. Wund, Kaitlyn A. Mathis Humans are causing an unparalleled level of disturbance and destruction across the planet, and other organisms are bearing the brunt of the negative side effects. However, some species appear to be thriving despite these novel environmental challenges. Phenotypic plasticity can buffer populations to novel environmental challenges and even facilitate the evolutionary process. Thus, how plasticity evolves in response to human disturbance is of great interest to evolutionary biologists. Furthermore, an animal's behavior is often considered the first phenotype to respond to human-induced environmental changes. Given the inherent phenotypic plasticity that has long defined behavioral phenotypes, the degree of behavioral plasticity may be the first trait that evolves in disturbed environments, and may indicate how successful populations of animals will be at tolerating human disturbance. This presentation will highlight the importance of studying phenotypic plasticity in novel environments, summarize key examples in the literature thus far, and expand on where behavioral phenotypes may provide unique insights in future research.