@misc{10481/91776,
year = {2024},
month = {4},
url = {https://hdl.handle.net/10481/91776},
abstract = {Adaptive phenotypic plasticity evolves in response to the contrasting selection pressures that arise when organisms face environmental
heterogeneity. Despite its importance for understanding how organisms successfully cope with environmental change,
adaptive plasticity is often assumed but rarely demonstrated. We study here the adaptive nature of the extreme seasonal within-individual
floral polyphenism exhibited by the crucifer Moricandia arvensis, a Mediterranean species that produces two different types
of flowers depending on the season of the year. During spring, this species has large, cross-shaped, lilac flowers, while during summer,
it develops small, rounded, white flowers. Although floral polyphenism was associated with increased plant fitness, selection moved
floral traits away from their local optimum values during the harsh summer. This result strongly suggests that floral polyphenism
is not adaptive in M. arvensis. The main factor selecting against floral polyphenism was pollinators, as they select for the same floral
morph in all environments. Despite not being adaptive, floral polyphenism occurs throughout the entire distribution range of M.
arvensis and has probably been present since the origin of the species. To solve this paradox, we explored the factors causing floral
polyphenism, finding that floral polyphenism was triggered by summer flowering. Summer flowering was beneficial because it led
to extra seed production and was favored by adaptive plasticity in leaf functional traits. Taken together, our study reveals a complex
scenario in which nonadaptive floral polyphenism has been indirectly maintained over M. arvensis evolutionary history by selection
operating to favor summer flowering. Our study provides thus strong evidence that nonadaptive plasticity may evolve as a byproduct
of colonizing stressful environments.},
organization = {Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation PID2021–126456NB},
organization = {EU FEDER},
organization = {Junta de Andalucía (IE19_238 CSIC-EEZA)},
publisher = {Oxford University Press},
keywords = {Adaptive plasticity},
keywords = {Within-individual plasticity},
keywords = {Natural selection},
title = {Selection maintains a nonadaptive floral polyphenism},
doi = {10.1093/evlett/qrae017},
author = {Gómez, José María and González Megías, Adela and Armas, Cristina and Narbona Fernández, Francisco Eduardo and Navarro, Luis and Perfectti Álvarez, Francisco},
}