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Trait-specific consequences of inbreeding on adaptive phenotypic plasticity

Schou, Mads F. LU ; Kristensen, Torsten N. and Loeschcke, Volker (2015) In Ecology and Evolution 5(1). p.1-6
Abstract
Environmental changes may stress organisms and stimulate an adaptive phenotypic response. Effects of inbreeding often interact with the environment and can decrease fitness of inbred individuals exposed to stress more so than that of outbred individuals. Such an interaction may stem from a reduced ability of inbred individuals to respond plastically to environmental stress; however, this hypothesis has rarely been tested. In this study, we mimicked the genetic constitution of natural inbred populations by rearing replicate Drosophila melanogaster populations for 25 generations at a reduced population size (10 individuals). The replicate inbred populations, as well as control populations reared at a population size of 500, were exposed to a... (More)
Environmental changes may stress organisms and stimulate an adaptive phenotypic response. Effects of inbreeding often interact with the environment and can decrease fitness of inbred individuals exposed to stress more so than that of outbred individuals. Such an interaction may stem from a reduced ability of inbred individuals to respond plastically to environmental stress; however, this hypothesis has rarely been tested. In this study, we mimicked the genetic constitution of natural inbred populations by rearing replicate Drosophila melanogaster populations for 25 generations at a reduced population size (10 individuals). The replicate inbred populations, as well as control populations reared at a population size of 500, were exposed to a benign developmental temperature and two developmental temperatures at the lower and upper margins of their viable range. Flies developed at the three temperatures were assessed for traits known to vary across temperatures, namely abdominal pigmentation, wing size, and wing shape. We found no significant difference in phenotypic plasticity in pigmentation or in wing size between inbred and control populations, but a significantly higher plasticity in wing shape across temperatures in inbred compared to control populations. Given that the norms of reaction for the noninbred control populations are adaptive, we conclude that a reduced ability to induce an adaptive phenotypic response to temperature changes is not a general consequence of inbreeding and thus not a general explanation of inbreeding–environment interaction effects on fitness components. (Less)
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author
; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
developmental plasticity, inbreeding–environment interactions, insects, pigmentation, wing size and shape
in
Ecology and Evolution
volume
5
issue
1
pages
1 - 6
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:84920281622
ISSN
2045-7758
DOI
10.1002/ece3.1339
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
491a55a7-8887-4d02-ba17-ceb1600e524b
date added to LUP
2017-12-18 09:46:42
date last changed
2022-01-31 00:43:59
@article{491a55a7-8887-4d02-ba17-ceb1600e524b,
  abstract     = {{Environmental changes may stress organisms and stimulate an adaptive phenotypic response. Effects of inbreeding often interact with the environment and can decrease fitness of inbred individuals exposed to stress more so than that of outbred individuals. Such an interaction may stem from a reduced ability of inbred individuals to respond plastically to environmental stress; however, this hypothesis has rarely been tested. In this study, we mimicked the genetic constitution of natural inbred populations by rearing replicate Drosophila melanogaster populations for 25 generations at a reduced population size (10 individuals). The replicate inbred populations, as well as control populations reared at a population size of 500, were exposed to a benign developmental temperature and two developmental temperatures at the lower and upper margins of their viable range. Flies developed at the three temperatures were assessed for traits known to vary across temperatures, namely abdominal pigmentation, wing size, and wing shape. We found no significant difference in phenotypic plasticity in pigmentation or in wing size between inbred and control populations, but a significantly higher plasticity in wing shape across temperatures in inbred compared to control populations. Given that the norms of reaction for the noninbred control populations are adaptive, we conclude that a reduced ability to induce an adaptive phenotypic response to temperature changes is not a general consequence of inbreeding and thus not a general explanation of inbreeding–environment interaction effects on fitness components.}},
  author       = {{Schou, Mads F. and Kristensen, Torsten N. and Loeschcke, Volker}},
  issn         = {{2045-7758}},
  keywords     = {{developmental plasticity; inbreeding–environment interactions; insects; pigmentation; wing size and shape}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{12}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{1--6}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Ecology and Evolution}},
  title        = {{Trait-specific consequences of inbreeding on adaptive phenotypic plasticity}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3.1339}},
  doi          = {{10.1002/ece3.1339}},
  volume       = {{5}},
  year         = {{2015}},
}