title: Plasticity as a developing trait: exploring the implications.
abstract: Individual differences in plasticity have been classically framed as genotype-by-environment interactions, with different genotypes showing different reaction norms in response to environmental conditions. However, research has shown that early experience can be a critical factor in shaping an individual's plasticity to later environmental factors. In other words, plasticity itself can be investigated as a developing trait that reflects the combined action of an individual's genes and previous interactions with the environment. In this paper I explore some implications of the idea that the early environment modulates long-term plasticity, with an emphasis on plasticity in behavioral traits. I begin by focusing on the mechanisms that mediate plasticity at the proximate level, and discussing the possibility that some traits may work as generalized mediators of plasticity by affecting the sensitivity of multiple phenol types across developmental contexts. I then tackle the complex problem of the evolution of reaction norms for plasticity. Next, I consider a number of potential implications for research on parental effects and phenotypic matching, and conclude by discussing how plasticity may become a target of evolutionary conflict between parents and offspring. In total, I aim to show how the idea of plasticity as a developing trait offers a rich source of questions and insights that may inform future research in this area.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico. Logan Hall, 2001 Redondo Dr. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Del Giudice
keywords: Development; differential susceptibility; parent-offspring conflict; parental effects; plasticity; predictive-adaptive responses; reaction norms
references.citation: Hum Nat. 2009 Jun;20(2):204-68
references.pmid: 25526958
references.citation: J Evol Biol. 2013 Oct;26(10):2161-70
references.pmid: 23937440
references.citation: Behav Ecol. 2015 Jan-Feb;26(1):269-281
references.pmid: 25713475
references.citation: Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2009 Apr 27;364(1520):1169-77
references.pmid: 19324619
references.citation: J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 1999 Apr-Jun;69(1-6):391-401
references.pmid: 10419017
references.citation: Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2013 Jul;38(7):1178-85
references.pmid: 23265309
references.citation: Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2012 Oct;37(10):1614-29
references.pmid: 22694951
references.citation: Nat Rev Neurosci. 2009 Jun;10(6):434-45
references.pmid: 19401723
references.citation: New Phytol. 2005 Apr;166(1):101-17
references.pmid: 15760355
references.citation: Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2010 Dec 27;365(1560):4021-8
references.pmid: 21078654
references.citation: Dev Psychopathol. 2011 Feb;23(1):7-28
references.pmid: 21262036
references.citation: Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2011 Jun;35(7):1562-92
references.pmid: 21145350
references.citation: Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2011 Jun;35(7):1534-43
references.pmid: 21216260
references.citation: Am Nat. 2013 Sep;182(3):313-27
references.pmid: 23933723
references.citation: Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc. 2012 Aug;87(3):742-55
references.pmid: 22404978
references.citation: J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2013 Oct;54(10):1135-43
references.pmid: 23617948
references.citation: Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc. 2010 May;85(2):301-25
references.pmid: 19961473
references.citation: Proc Biol Sci. 2014 Mar 11;281(1782):20132458
references.pmid: 24619435
references.citation: Trends Ecol Evol. 2005 Sep;20(9):481-6
references.pmid: 16701424
references.citation: J Dev Orig Health Dis. 2014 Aug;5(4):270-80
references.pmid: 24965133
references.citation: Ecol Lett. 2007 May;10(5):355-63
references.pmid: 17498134
references.citation: Trends Biotechnol. 2004 Sep;22(9):446-50
references.pmid: 15331224
references.citation: Trends Ecol Evol. 2005 Oct;20(10):527-33
references.pmid: 16701430
references.citation: Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2010 Dec 27;365(1560):4051-63
references.pmid: 21078657
references.citation: Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2011 Jul 1;35(5):1178-91
references.pmid: 21216265
references.citation: Transl Psychiatry. 2014 Feb 11;4:e359
references.pmid: 24518397
references.citation: Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2014 Jul;10(7):391-402
references.pmid: 24863382
references.citation: Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2002 Mar 29;357(1419):295-307
references.pmid: 11958698
references.citation: Nature. 1995 Jul 13;376(6536):133-8
references.pmid: 7603563
references.citation: Dev Psychopathol. 2013 Nov;25(4 Pt 2):1243-61
references.pmid: 24342838
references.citation: Psychol Rev. 2011 Jul;118(3):496-521
references.pmid: 21604906
references.citation: Evolution. 2011 Jul;65(7):2075-84
references.pmid: 21729061
references.citation: Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2005 Feb;29(1):3-38
references.pmid: 15652252
references.citation: Dev Psychopathol. 2011 Feb;23(1):29-38
references.pmid: 21262037
references.citation: Dev Psychopathol. 2005 Spring;17(2):271-301
references.pmid: 16761546