title: Genetic variation in niche construction: implications for development and evolutionary genetics.
abstract: Niche construction occurs when the traits of an organism influence the environment that it experiences. Research has focused on niche-constructing traits that are fixed within populations or species. However, evidence increasingly demonstrates that niche-constructing traits vary among genotypes within populations. Here, we consider the potential implications of genetic variation in niche construction for evolutionary genetics. Specifically, genetic variation in niche-constructing traits creates a correlation between genotype and environment. Because the environment influences which genes and genetic interactions underlie trait variation, genetic variation in niche construction can alter inferences about the heritability, pleiotropy, and epistasis of traits that are phenotypically plastic. The effects of niche construction on these key evolutionary parameters further suggest novel ways by which niche construction can influence evolution.
authors.affiliation: Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, 1050 Childs Way RRI 316, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA. Electronic address: jsaltz@usc.edu.
authors.forename: Julia B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Saltz
authors.affiliation: Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, 1050 Childs Way RRI 316, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
authors.forename: Sergey V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Nuzhdin
mesh_terms: D005075:Biological Evolution; D059647:Gene-Environment Interaction; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D008954:Models, Biological