Dissertation Research: The Maintenance of Genetic Variation for Phenotypic Plasticity: The Roles of Cost and Adaptation

论文研究：表型可塑性遗传变异的维持：成本和适应的作用

基本信息

批准号：
0206258
负责人：
Laura Galloway
金额：
$ 0.87万
依托单位：
University of Virginia Main Campus
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
Standard Grant
财政年份：
2002
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2002-07-01 至 2005-06-30
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0206258&HistoricalAwards=false
关键词：
Dissertation Research Maintenance Genetic Variation

项目摘要

Phenotypic plasticity, the ability to adjust morphological traits in response to the environment, may enhance survival and reproduction in changing environments. Given this adaptive value of phenotypic plasticity, it is important to understand the mechanisms that may maintain genetic variation for plasticity. Despite the important theoretical role the cost of plasticity plays in maintaining this variation, relatively few empirical studies have focused on the role of cost of plasticity under natural conditions. This dissertation research will address this issue by examining the balance between the cost of plasticity and the benefit of plasticity under a variety of environmental conditions. Populations of the herbaceous plant Geranium carolinianum from both environmentally variable and uniform light environments are compared for the patterns of plasticity to natural variation in light availability. The genetic basis of plasticity will be assessed because the potential of phenotypic plasticity to evolve in response to future environmental change depends in part on its genetic basis. Finally, a field study will examine how selection may favor plasticity under environmentally variable conditions but favor non-plastic responses under uniform conditions. An increase in environmental variation is expected with global climate change. Understanding how plasticity is maintained is central to predicting population response to diverse environments.

表型可塑性是对环境响应形态学特征的能力，可以增强不断变化的环境中的生存和繁殖。鉴于表型可塑性的这种适应性值，了解可能保持可塑性遗传变异的机制很重要。尽管理论上具有重要的作用，但可塑性的成本在维持这种差异方面发挥了作用，但相对较少的经验研究集中在自然条件下可塑性成本的作用上。这项论文研究将通过研究可塑性成本与在各种环境条件下可塑性的好处之间的平衡来解决这个问题。比较了环境变化和均匀的光环境的草本植物葡萄球菌Carolinianum的种群，以相比，可塑性的模式与光的自然变化模式进行了比较。将评估可塑性的遗传基础，因为表型可塑性以对未来的环境变化而发展的潜力部分取决于其遗传基础。最后，一项现场研究将研究选择在环境变化条件下如何有利于可塑性，但有利于均匀条件下的非塑性反应。随着全球气候变化的预计，环境变化会增加。了解可塑性的维持方式对于预测人口对各种环境的反应至关重要。