Offspring reaction norms shaped by parental environment: interaction between within- and trans-generational plasticity of inducible defenses

BMC Evolutionary Biology

Research Article

Juliette Tariel¹  Emilien Luquet¹ 

[1] CNRS UMR 5023 Ecologie des Hydrosystèmes Naturels et Anthropisés, Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, Université de Lyon, 43 Bd du 11 Novembre 1918, 69622, Villeurbanne cedex, France;

关键词: Phenotypic plasticity;    Transgenerational plasticity;    Inducible defenses;    Predator-prey interactions;    Reaction norm;    Physa acuta;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12862-016-0795-9

 received in 2016-10-04, accepted in 2016-10-07,  发布年份 2016

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundWithin-generational plasticity (WGP) and transgenerational plasticity (TGP) are mechanisms allowing rapid adaptive responses to fluctuating environments without genetic change. These forms of plasticity have often been viewed as independent processes. Recent evidence suggests that WGP is altered by the environmental conditions experienced by previous generations (i.e., TGP). In the context of inducible defenses, one of the most studied cases of plasticity, the WGP x TGP interaction has been poorly investigated.ResultsWe provide evidence that TGP can alter the reaction norms of inducible defenses in a freshwater snail. The WGP x TGP interaction patterns are trait-specific and lead to decreased slope of reaction norms (behaviour and shell thickness). Offspring from induced parents showed a higher predator avoidance behaviour and a thicker shell than snails from non-induced parents in no predator-cue environment while they reached similar defenses in predator-cue environment. The WGP x TGP interaction further lead to a switch from a plastic towards a constitutive expression of defenses for shell dimensions (flat reaction norm).ConclusionsWGP-alteration by TGP may shape the adaptive responses to environmental change and then has a substantial importance to understand the evolution of plasticity.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s). 2016