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Sparse evidence for selection on phenotypic plasticity in response to temperature.

ABSTRACT: Phenotypic plasticity is frequently assumed to be an adaptive mechanism by which organisms cope with rapid changes in their environment, such as shifts in temperature regimes owing to climate change. However, despite this adaptive assumption, the nature of selection on plasticity within populations is still poorly documented. Here, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of estimates of selection on thermal plasticity. Although there is a large literature on thermal plasticity, we found very few studies that estimated coefficients of selection on measures of plasticity. Those that did do not provide strong support for selection on plasticity, with the majority of estimates of directional selection on plasticity being weak and non-significant, and no evidence for selection on plasticity overall. Although further estimates are clearly needed before general conclusions can be drawn, at present there is not clear empirical support for any assumption that plasticity in response to temperature is under selection. We present a multivariate mixed model approach for robust estimation of selection on plasticity and demonstrate how it can be implemented. Finally, we highlight the need to consider the environments, traits and conditions under which plasticity is (or is not) likely to be under selection, if we are to understand phenotypic responses to rapid environmental change. This article is part of the theme issue 'The role of plasticity in phenotypic adaptation to rapid environmental change'.

SUBMITTER: Arnold PA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6365867 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Sparse evidence for selection on phenotypic plasticity in response to temperature.

Arnold Pieter A PA Nicotra Adrienne B AB Kruuk Loeske E B LEB

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences 20190301 1768

Phenotypic plasticity is frequently assumed to be an adaptive mechanism by which organisms cope with rapid changes in their environment, such as shifts in temperature regimes owing to climate change. However, despite this adaptive assumption, the nature of selection on plasticity within populations is still poorly documented. Here, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of estimates of selection on thermal plasticity. Although there is a large literature on thermal plasticity, we fou ...[more]

PMID: 30966967

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Project description:This study measured the differential expression of genes from a single clonal Daphnia pulex isolate obtained from an eutrophic flooded opencast mine near Gräfenhain (Saxony, Germany) and has been kept in the laboratory since 2002. The daphniids (50 adult animals per batch) were raised in 3-L glass beakers under a 16 h:8 h L:D photoperiod. Three-quarter of the culture medium (M4) was renewed once a week, and the animals were equally fed ad libitum with algae (Desmodesmus subspicatus; SAG 53.80, Göttingen, Germany). Long-term-acclimated animals were kept at three different temperatures (i.e., 10 ± 0.5°C, 20 ± 0.3°C, and 24 ± 0.3°C) under normoxia (Po2 ≥ 20 kPa) for at least twelve weeks. Time-resolved experiments (acute heat stress) were carried out with long-term 20°C acclimated animals, which were exposed for three different time intervals (2, 4, and 8 h) to either 30 ± 0.2°C (test conditions) or 20 ± 0.3°C (control conditions). For this, 50 animals each were rapidly transferred with a sieve (mesh size: 1.2 mm) from 20°C-medium to a set of beakers containing 30°C-medium. As control, 50 animals each were transferred from 20°C-medium to another set of beakers with 20°C-medium. Only adult female animals with a body length of 2−2.5 mm (between the base of the apical spine and the anterior part of the head) and carrying parthenogenetic eggs and embryos were used for experiments. Animals were not fed during short-term exposures. During experiments, all animals were in good physical condition. After thermal acclimation or heat exposure, animals were transferred into 1.5-ml microcentrifuge tubes and shock-frozen in liquid nitrogen after removing adhering water with a tissue paper. Samples were short-term stored at -80°C. For all experimental conditions, four independent replicates (50 animals each) were analyzed. This GEO record is for the acute heat stress temperature contrasts between animals conditioned to 20 degrees Celsius (condition 1) versus heat shock to 30 degrees Celsius (condition 2) exposed for 2 hours (treatment 1), 4 hours (treatment 2), and 8 hours (treatment 3).

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Sparse evidence for selection on phenotypic plasticity in response to temperature.

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Sparse evidence for selection on phenotypic plasticity in response to temperature.

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