Constraints on the evolution of phenotypic plasticity: limits and costs of phenotype and plasticity

Phenotypic plasticity is ubiquitous and generally regarded as a key mechanism for enabling organisms to survive in the face of environmental change. Because no organism is infinitely or ideally plastic, theory suggests that there must be limits (for example, the lack of ability to produce an optimal trait) to the evolution of phenotypic plasticity, or that plasticity may have inherent significant costs. Yet numerous experimental studies have not detected widespread costs. Explicitly differentiating plasticity costs from phenotype costs, we re-evaluate fundamental questions of the limits to the evolution of plasticity and of generalists vs specialists. We advocate for the view that relaxed selection and…

• NS
  National Science Foundation

  Awards: 0846175, 1052262, 1354737, -0423641, DEB 11-19430, 1242294, 1146977, DEB 07-16149, EF-0423641, DEB-0846175, 0623341, 0423641, IOS-1354737, DEB-1046328
• JT
  John Templeton Foundation
• NE
  National Evolutionary Synthesis Center

  Award: EF-0423641
• NI
  National Institutes of Health

  Award: GM104040
• OO
  Office of International Science and Engineering

  Award: OISE-0623341
• DO
  Division of Integrative Organismal Systems

  Awards: 1354737, 1146977
• DO
  Division of Environmental Biology

  Awards: 1046328, DEB-1046328