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DESCRIBING THE EVOLUTION OF REACTION NORM SHAPE: BODY PIGMENTATION IN DROSOPHILA
Author(s) -
Gibert Patricia,
Moreteau Brigitte,
David Jean R.,
Scheiner Samuel M.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
evolution
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.84
H-Index - 199
eISSN - 1558-5646
pISSN - 0014-3820
DOI - 10.1111/j.1558-5646.1998.tb02032.x
Subject(s) - biology , norm (philosophy) , trait , evolutionary biology , phenotypic plasticity , quadratic equation , selection (genetic algorithm) , mathematics , computer science , artificial intelligence , genetics , epistemology , geometry , philosophy , programming language
If phenotypic plasticity is a trait subject to selection and evolution, we need to quantify reaction norms and to identify the potential target(s) of selection. Previously we proposed the use of polynomial coefficients as reaction norm descriptors. However, the interpretation of these coefficients is not straightforward if the reaction norm is not linear. Therefore, we instead propose the use of characteristic values to describe reaction norms. We depict such characteristic values for linear, quadratic, and logistic reaction norms, discuss how they might evolve, and illustrate their estimation using data on abdominal pigmentation of Drosophila simulans.