Evolution of a Polyphenism by Genetic Accommodation
2006; American Association for the Advancement of Science; Volume: 311; Issue: 5761 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1126/science.1118888
ISSN1095-9203
AutoresYuichiro Suzuki, H. Frederik Nijhout,
Tópico(s)Animal Behavior and Reproduction
ResumoPolyphenisms are adaptations in which a genome is associated with discrete alternative phenotypes in different environments. Little is known about the mechanism by which polyphenisms originate. We show that a mutation in the juvenile hormone-regulatory pathway in Manduca sexta enables heat stress to reveal a hidden reaction norm of larval coloration. Selection for increased color change in response to heat stress resulted in the evolution of a larval color polyphenism and a corresponding change in hormonal titers through genetic accommodation. Evidently, mechanisms that regulate developmental hormones can mask genetic variation and act as evolutionary capacitors, facilitating the origin of novel adaptive phenotypes.
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