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Developmental plasticity and evolutionary explanations
Author(s) -
Uller Tobias,
Feiner Nathalie,
Radersma Reinder,
Jackson Illiam S. C.,
Rago Alfredo
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
evolution and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.651
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1525-142X
pISSN - 1520-541X
DOI - 10.1111/ede.12314
Subject(s) - natural selection , biology , selection (genetic algorithm) , evolutionary biology , explanatory power , cognitive science , plasticity , evolutionary developmental biology , natural (archaeology) , developmental plasticity , adaptive evolution , epistemology , computer science , psychology , artificial intelligence , paleontology , gene , genetics , physics , thermodynamics , philosophy
Developmental plasticity looks like a promising bridge between ecological and developmental perspectives on evolution. Yet, there is no consensus on whether plasticity is part of the explanation for adaptive evolution or an optional “add‐on” to genes and natural selection. Here, we suggest that these differences in opinion are caused by differences in the simplifying assumptions, and particular idealizations, that enable evolutionary explanation. We outline why idealizations designed to explain evolution through natural selection prevent an understanding of the role of development, and vice versa. We show that representing plasticity as a reaction norm conforms with the idealizations of selective explanations, which can give the false impression that plasticity has no explanatory power for adaptive evolution. Finally, we use examples to illustrate why evolutionary explanations that include developmental plasticity may in fact be more satisfactory than explanations that solely refer to genes and natural selection.