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Genotype-environment interaction: The evolution and consequences of phenotypic plasticity

This course is a graduate seminar on phenotypic plasticity. Phenotypic plasticity is the ability of a genotype to alter its phenotype in response to the environment. The study of phenotypic plasticity is therefore the study of how genetics and ecology interact to determine phenotypic expression and to alter evolutionary and ecological processes. This seminar will investigate both the genetic basis and ecological context of phenotypic plasticity.

We will begin by defining phenotypic plasticity using historical sources as a guide. We will then examine the genetic basis of phenotypic plasticity. We will review the major quantitative-genetic treatments, the molecular-genetic basis of plasticity, and the potential role of genetic buffering and genetic assimilation in the evolution of plasticity. Next, we will analyze natural selection on plastic characters. We will discuss how to detect adaptive plasticity and explore the ecological conditions that favor the evolution of plasticity. The last portion of the course will be devoted to discussing evolutionary and ecological consequences of plasticity, including niche-breadth evolution, life-history and demographic variation, and the consequences of plasticity as habitat selection.