Divergence in rates of phenotypic plasticity among ectotherms. (30th November 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Einum, Sigurd; Burton, Tim
• Is Part Of: Ecology letters. Volume 26:Number 1(2023)
• Page Start: 147
• Page End: 156
• Publication Date: 2022-11-30
• Subjects: acclimation rate -- body size -- comparative -- critical -- exponential decay -- fitness -- phenotypic plasticity -- selection -- temperature -- time course; Ecology -- Periodicals; 577
• DOI: 10.1111/ele.14147
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1461-023X

Abstract

Abstract: An individual's fitness cost associated with environmental change likely depends on the rate of adaptive phenotypic plasticity, and yet our understanding of plasticity rates in an ecological and evolutionary context remains limited. We provide the first quantitative synthesis of existing plasticity rate data, focusing on acclimation of temperature tolerance in ectothermic animals, where we demonstrate applicability of a recently proposed analytical approach. The analyses reveal considerable variation in plasticity rates of this trait among species, with half‐times (how long it takes for the initial deviation from the acclimated phenotype to be reduced by 50% when individuals are shifted to a new environment) ranging from 3.7 to 770.2 h. Furthermore, rates differ among higher taxa, being higher for amphibians and reptiles than for crustaceans and fishes, and with insects being intermediate. We argue that a more comprehensive understanding of phenotypic plasticity will be attained through increased focus on the rate parameter. Abstract : An individual's fitness cost associated with environmental change likely depends on the rate of adaptive phenotypic plasticity, and yet our understanding of plasticity rates in an ecological and evolutionary context remains limited. We provide the first quantitative synthesis of existing plasticity rate data, focusing on acclimation of temperature tolerance in ectothermic animals, where we demonstrate applicability of a recently proposed analytical approach. We show how rates differ among taxa, being higher for amphibians and reptiles than for crustaceans and fishes, and with insects being intermediate.