Data for: Plasticity promotes population persistence

Phenotypic plasticity––the ability of organisms to adjust their traits in response to changes in their environment––has long been thought to prevent extinction in novel or changing environments. However, direct evidence connecting plasticity to population persistence is lacking. Here, we experimentally evaluate the relationship between plasticity and persistence in rotifers that facultatively produce different morphological and life history traits. We exposed 33 clonal lineages that varied in plasticity to over 20 novel environments for multiple generations. Clonal populations expressing more plasticity in novel environments persisted longer and were less likely to go extinct than less plastic populations. These results demonstrate a direct link between plasticity and population persistence in novel environments and suggest that plasticity can buy time for organisms in a changing world.