Department of Physics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
Institute for Fundamental Theory, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
Proc Biol Sci. 2023 Apr 26;290(1997):20230096. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0096. Epub 2023 Apr 19.
In varying environments, it is beneficial for organisms to utilize available cues to infer the conditions they may encounter and express potentially favourable traits. However, external cues can be unreliable or too costly to use. We consider an alternative strategy where organisms exploit internal sources of information. Even without sensing environmental cues, their internal states may become correlated with the environment as a result of selection, which then form a memory that helps predict future conditions. To demonstrate the adaptive value of such internal cues in varying environments, we revisit the classic example of seed dormancy in annual plants. Previous studies have considered the germination fraction of seeds and its dependence on environmental cues. In contrast, we consider a model of germination fraction that depends on the seed age, which is an internal state that can serve as a memory. We show that, if the environmental variation has temporal structure, then age-dependent germination fractions will allow the population to have an increased long-term growth rate. The more the organisms can remember through their internal states, the higher the growth rate a population can potentially achieve. Our results suggest experimental ways to infer internal memory and its benefit for adaptation in varying environments.
在不同的环境中，生物体利用可用的线索来推断它们可能遇到的条件，并表达潜在有利的特征是有益的。然而，外部线索可能不可靠或使用成本过高。我们考虑一种替代策略，即生物体利用内部信息源。即使没有感知环境线索，它们的内部状态也可能由于选择而与环境相关联，从而形成一种有助于预测未来条件的记忆。为了证明在不同环境中这种内部线索的适应性价值，我们重新审视了一年生植物种子休眠的经典例子。以前的研究已经考虑了种子的发芽分数及其对环境线索的依赖性。相比之下，我们考虑了一种依赖于种子年龄的发芽分数模型，种子年龄是一种可以作为记忆的内部状态。我们表明，如果环境变化具有时间结构，那么依赖年龄的发芽分数将允许种群获得更高的长期增长率。生物体通过内部状态能够记住的信息越多，种群潜在实现的增长率就越高。我们的研究结果为推断内部记忆及其在不同环境中的适应益处提供了实验方法。
