Data from: Behavioural vs. physiological adaptation: which contributes more to the evolution of complex traits in a warming climate?

Through behavioural adaptation, organisms can alter their environment, and
consequently, their exposure to selective pressures. In contrast,
physiological traits adapt by accommodating environmental influences.
Here, we examine how the coevolution of behavioural and physiological
traits is shaped by their different relationships to the environment by
modelling the adaptation of species with temperature-dependent sex
determination to climate change. In these species, pivotal temperature and
maternal nesting behaviour can evolve in response to rising temperatures
that destabilise sex ratios. We used individual-based simulation modelling
to ascertain the relative response to selection of these traits and
determine how temperature-dependent embryonic survival and behavioural
plasticity influence their coevolution. We found that pivotal temperature
evolved to ameliorate sex-ratio bias more readily than nesting behaviour,
though behaviour played an important role in adaptation to extreme
environments. Selection favoured increased behavioural evolution when
embryonic survival depended on nest temperature, while plasticity reduced
the adaptive potential of behaviour. We demonstrate that the capacity of
behavioural traits to respond to multiple selective pressures has a
substantial impact on the coevolution of behavioural and physiological
traits. Our findings highlight the complex interactions that occur when
species adapt to new environments and the potential for plasticity to
shape the course of evolution.

通过行为适应，生物可改变其所处环境，进而调整自身所承受的选择压力。相比之下，生理特征则通过适应环境影响实现演化。本文通过模拟具有温度依赖性性别决定（temperature-dependent sex determination）的物种对气候变化的适应过程，探究行为与生理特征的协同演化如何受其与环境间不同关系的塑造。在这类物种中，关键温度（pivotal temperature）与母本筑巢行为可随导致性别比例失衡的气温上升而演化。我们采用基于个体的模拟模型（individual-based simulation modelling），以明确这些特征对选择的相对响应，并探究温度依赖性胚胎存活与行为可塑性如何影响其协同演化。研究发现，关键温度比筑巢行为更易演化以缓解性别比例偏差，尽管行为在极端环境适应中发挥重要作用。当胚胎存活依赖巢温时，选择更倾向于增强行为演化；而可塑性则降低了行为的适应潜力。我们证明，行为特征对多重选择压力的响应能力，对行为与生理特征的协同演化具有显著影响。研究结果凸显了物种适应新环境时发生的复杂相互作用，以及可塑性塑造演化进程的潜力。