Data from: Testing the role of phenotypic plasticity for local adaptation: growth and development in time-constrained Rana temporaria populations

Phenotypic plasticity can be important for local adaptation, since it enables individuals to survive in a novel environment until genetic changes have been accumulated by genetic accommodation. By analyzing the relationship between development rate and growth rate, it can be determined if plasticity in life history traits is caused by changed physiology or behaviour. We extended this to examine if plasticity had been aiding local adaptation, by investigating if the plastic response had been fixed in locally adapted populations. Tadpoles from island populations of Rana temporaria, locally adapted to different pool drying regimes, were monitored in a common garden. Individual differences in development rate were caused by different foraging efficiency. However, developmental plasticity was physiologically mediated by trading off growth against development rate. Surprisingly, plasticity has not aided local adaptation to time-stressed environments, since local adaptation was not caused by genetic assimilation but on selection on the standing genetic variation in development time.

表型可塑性（phenotypic plasticity）对于本地适应具有重要意义，因为它可使个体在新异环境中存活，直至通过遗传顺应（genetic accommodation）积累遗传变化。通过分析发育速率与生长速率之间的关联，可判定生活史性状的可塑性究竟是由生理改变还是行为改变所引发。我们将该分析框架加以拓展，通过探究可塑性响应是否在本地适应种群中得以固定，以此检验可塑性是否助力了本地适应过程。我们在共同花园（common garden）实验环境中，对适应了不同池塘干涸模式的林蛙（Rana temporaria）岛屿种群的蝌蚪进行了监测。个体间发育速率的差异源于觅食效率的不同。不过，发育可塑性是通过在生长与发育速率之间进行权衡的生理机制介导的。令人意外的是，可塑性并未助力针对时间紧迫环境的本地适应，因为这类本地适应并非源于遗传同化（genetic assimilation），而是源自对发育时长相关现有遗传变异（standing genetic variation）的选择。