Many biologists are asking whether environmentally initiated phenotypic change
(ie,'phenotypic plasticity') precedes, and even facilitates, evolutionary adaptation. However …

The integration of research from developmental biology and ecology into evolutionary theory
has given rise to a relatively new field, ecological evolutionary developmental biology (Eco …

Phenotypic plasticity (the ability of a single genotype to produce multiple phenotypes in
response to variation in the environment) is commonplace. Yet its evolutionary significance …

A recurrent theme in evolutionary biology is to contrast natural selection and developmental
constraint–two forces pitted against each other as competing explanations for organismal …

Explaining the origins of novel traits is central to evolutionary biology. Longstanding theory
suggests that developmental plasticity, the ability of an individual to modify its development …

Two different, but related, evolutionary theories pertaining to phenotypic plasticity were
proposed by James Mark Baldwin and Conrad Hal Waddington. Unfortunately, these …

Developmental plasticity refers to the property by which the same genotype produces
distinct phenotypes depending on the environmental conditions under which development …

The relationship between genotype (which is inherited) and phenotype (the target of
selection) is mediated by environmental inputs on gene expression, trait development, and …

Metamorphosis, classically defined as a spectacular post-embryonic transition, is well
exemplified by the transformation of a tadpole into a frog. It implies the appearance of new …

Background Most, if not all, organisms possess the ability to alter their phenotype in direct
response to changes in their environment, a phenomenon known as phenotypic plasticity …