Phenotypic Plasticity & Evolution

Causes, Consequences, Controversies
1. Auflage 2022
ISBN: 978-0-367-67655-1
Verlag: CRC Press

Buch, Englisch, 436 Seiten, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 234 mm, Gewicht: 661 g

Reihe: Evolutionary Cell Biology

Phenotypic plasticity – the ability of an individual organism to alter its features in direct response to a change in its environment – is ubiquitous. Understanding how and why this phenomenon exists is crucial because it unites all levels of biological inquiry. This book brings together researchers who approach plasticity from diverse perspectives to explore new ideas and recent findings about the causes and consequences of plasticity. Contributors also discuss such controversial topics as how plasticity shapes ecological and evolutionary processes; whether specific plastic responses can be passed to offspring; and whether plasticity has left an important imprint on the history of life. Importantly, each chapter highlights key questions for future research. Drawing on numerous studies of plasticity in natural populations of plants and animals, this book aims to foster greater appreciation for this important, but frequently misunderstood phenomenon.

Key Features

- Written in an accessible style with numerous illustrations, including many in color

- Reviews the history of the study of plasticity, including Darwin’s views

- Most chapters conclude with recommendations for future research

Zielgruppe

Postgraduate and Professional

Autoren/Hrsg.

Pfennig, David W.

Fachgebiete

• Naturwissenschaften Biowissenschaften Biowissenschaften Evolutionsbiologie
• Naturwissenschaften Biowissenschaften Zellbiologie
• Naturwissenschaften Biowissenschaften Entwicklungsbiologie
• Naturwissenschaften Biowissenschaften Mikrobiologie

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Foreword: A Perspective on Plasticity

Preface and Acknowledgements

Section I Plasticity & Evolution: Concepts & Questions

Phenotypic Plasticity as an Intrinsic Property of Organisms

"There is Hardly Any Question in Biology of More Importance"––Charles Darwin and the Nature of Variation

Key Questions about Phenotypic Plasticity

Section II Causes of Plasticity: From Genes to Ecology

Genetic Variation in Phenotypic Plasticity

Physiological Mechanisms and the Evolution of Plasticity

Ecology and the Evolution of Plasticity

The Loss of Phenotypic Plasticity via Natural Selection: Genetic Assimilation

Section III Consequences of Plasticity: Adaptation, Origination, Diversification

Buying Time: Plasticity and Population Persistence

Innovation and Diversification via Plasticity-led Evolution

Plasticity and Evolutionary Transitions in Individuality

Phenotypic Plasticity in the Fossil Record

Section IV Plasticity & Evolution: Controversies & Consensus

The Special Case of Behavioral Plasticity?

Plasticity Across Generations

How Does Phenotypic Plasticity Fit into Evolutionary Theory?

Plasticity and Evolutionary Theory: Where We Are and Where We Should be Going

List of Contributors

Index

Über Autor(innen)

David W. Pfennig is a professor of biology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and a Sigma Xi Distinguished Lecturer. He is broadly interested in evolutionary biology, ecology, behavior, and developmental biology and is author (with Karin Pfennig) of Evolution’s Wedge: Competition and the Origins of Diversity. His work has been featured on The National Geographic Channel, on the BBC/ PBS’s Nature series, and in The New York Times, Newsweek, National Geographic, Scientific American, New Scientist, and Discover, among other publications.