Data from: A history of phenotypic plasticity accelerates adaptation to a new environment

Can a history of phenotypic plasticity increase the rate of adaptation to a new environment? Theory suggests it can through two different mechanisms. Phenotypically plastic organisms can adapt rapidly to new environments through genetic assimilation, or the fluctuating environments that result in phenotypic plasticity can produce evolvable genetic architectures. In this article, I studied a model of a gene regulatory network that determined a phenotypic character in one population selected for phenotypic plasticity and a second population in a constant environment. A history of phenotypic plasticity increased the rate of adaptation in a new environment, but the amount of this increase was dependent on the strength of selection in the original environment. Phenotypic variance in the original environment predicted the adaptive capacity of the trait within, but not between, plastic and non-plastic populations. These results have implications for invasive species, and ecological studies of rapid adaptation.表型可塑性（phenotypic plasticity）的演化历史是否能够提升生物对新环境的适应速率？理论研究表明，其可通过两种截然不同的机制实现该效应。具备表型可塑性的生物可通过遗传同化（genetic assimilation）快速适应新环境；而催生表型可塑性的波动环境，亦可构建出具备可演化性的遗传架构。本文中，笔者构建了一类基因调控网络（gene regulatory network）模型，该网络可决定某一表型性状；其中一类种群以表型可塑性作为选择目标，另一类种群则处于恒定环境中。研究结果显示，表型可塑性的演化历史确实能够提升新环境下的适应速率，但该提升幅度取决于原环境中的选择强度。原环境中的表型方差可预测可塑性种群与非可塑性种群内部的性状适应能力，但无法预测两类种群间的性状适应能力。本研究结果对于入侵物种研究以及快速适应性的生态学研究均具有重要参考价值。