Phenotypic flexibility and the evolution of organismal design

• Published in: Trends in ecology & evolution (Amsterdam) Vol. 18; no. 5; pp. 228 - 233
• Main Authors: Piersma, Theunis, Drent, Jan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2003; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Biological evolution; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects. Techniques; Generalities; Genetics of eukaryotes. Biological and molecular evolution; Fluctuations; Biological evolution; Development; Phenotypic plasticity; Environment; Genotype; Season; Adaptation

Evolutionary biologists often use phenotypic differences between species and between individuals to gain an understanding of organismal design. The focus of much recent attention has been on developmental plasticity – the environmentally induced variability during development within a single genotyp...