de Jong Gerdien
Evolutionary Population Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, NL-3584 CH Utrecht, the Netherlands.
New Phytol. 2005 Apr;166(1):101-17. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2005.01322.x.
Phenotypic plasticity itself evolves, as does any other quantitative trait. A very different question is whether phenotypic plasticity causes evolution or is a major evolutionary mechanism. Existing models of the evolution of phenotypic plasticity cover many of the proposals in the literature about the role of phenotypic plasticity in evolution. I will extend existing models to cover adaptation to a novel environment, the appearance of ecotypes and possible covariation between phenotypic plasticity and mean trait value of ecotypes. Genetic assimilation does not sufficiently explain details of observed patterns. Phenotypic plasticity as a major mechanism for evolution--such as, invading new niches, speciation or macroevolution--has, at present, neither empirical nor model support.
表型可塑性本身会像其他任何数量性状一样发生进化。一个截然不同的问题是，表型可塑性是导致进化还是一种主要的进化机制。现代表型可塑性进化模型涵盖了文献中许多关于表型可塑性在进化中作用的提议。我将扩展现有的模型，以涵盖对新环境的适应、生态型的出现以及表型可塑性与生态型平均性状值之间可能的协变。遗传同化并不能充分解释观察到的模式细节。目前，表型可塑性作为一种进化的主要机制——例如，侵入新生态位、物种形成或宏观进化——既没有实证支持也没有模型支持。
