Many biologists are asking whether environmentally initiated phenotypic change
(ie,'phenotypic plasticity') precedes, and even facilitates, evolutionary adaptation. However …

Lichens are symbiotic associations resulting from interactions among fungi (primary and
secondary mycobionts), algae and/or cyanobacteria (primary and secondary photobionts) …

Phenotypic plasticity–the ability of an individual organism to alter its features in direct
response to a change in its environment–is ubiquitous. Understanding how and why this …

In recent years, scientists have realized that evolution can occur on timescales much shorter
than the" long lapse of ages" emphasized by Darwin—in fact, evolutionary change is …

The origin of biological diversity, via the formation of new species, can be inextricably linked
to adaptation to the ecological environment. Specifically, ecological processes are central to …

Sympatric speciation, the evolution of reproductive isolation without geographic barriers,
remains highly contentious. As a result of new empirical examples and theory, it is now …

Life on earth is characterized by three striking phenomena that demand explanation:
adaptation—the marvelous fit between organism and environment; diversity—the great …

Character displacement is the process by which traits evolve in response to selection to
lessen resource competition or reproductive interactions between species. Although …

Natural selection is the process that results in adaptive evolution, but it is not the cause of
evolution. The cause of natural selection and, therefore, of adaptive evolution, is any …

Plasticity-first evolution (PFE) posits that novel features arise when selection refines pre-
existing phenotypic plasticity into an adaptive phenotype. However, PFE is controversial …