Phenotypic plasticity

Phenotypic plasticity is the capacity of one genotype to produce different phenotypes in different environments. Its patterns can be described by reaction norms, which map environmental conditions to trait values.

Reaction norm: A reaction norm describes the phenotypes a genotype produces across a range of environmental conditions. It is the standard way to represent plastic responses across environments.
Genotype: A genotype is the genetic constitution of an organism or cell. Plasticity is defined by the range of phenotypes produced by one genotype.
Adaptive phenotypic plasticity: Adaptive phenotypic plasticity is environmentally induced trait variation that increases fitness in the relevant conditions. It identifies plasticity that improves performance rather than merely changing a trait.
Genetic assimilation: Genetic assimilation is the evolutionary process by which a formerly environmentally induced phenotype becomes expressed without the inducing condition. It describes an evolutionary outcome that can follow initially plastic expression.
Gene regulation: Gene regulation is the control of when, where, and how much a gene is expressed. Environmental signals can change traits by altering gene expression.
Phenotype: A phenotype is an organism’s observable or measurable traits, shaped by genes and environment. Plasticity concerns environmentally varying phenotypes.
Phenological shift: A phenological shift is a change in the timing of recurring biological events, such as flowering or migration. Changing seasonal timing is a prominent plastic response to environmental cues.
Evolution: Evolution is change in heritable characteristics of populations across generations. Plasticity can occur within a lifetime, whereas evolution changes populations across generations.
Developmental plasticity: Developmental plasticity is environmentally induced variation in traits formed during an organism’s development. It captures plastic changes that arise as organisms develop.
Environment: An environment comprises the external and internal conditions affecting an organism. Environmental variation supplies the conditions that elicit plastic responses.

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