Phenotypic plasticity and dispersal: towards their temporal dynamics and adaptiveness - Staffan Jacob (Station d’Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale, Moulis)

To cope with changes in their environment, organisms may modify their phenotype (i.e., phenotypic plasticity), or disperse elsewhere (i.e., dispersal plasticity), two strategies that are critically important for ecological and evolutionary dynamics. In this seminar, I will present recent work exploring the within- and among-species variability in phenotypic plasticity and dispersal, their interplay, and potential adaptiveness. I will particularly focus on the speed of plastic responses: iteratively measuring plastic traits should allow to describe the actual dynamics of phenotypic changes over time and avoid quantifying reaction norms at times that do not truly reflect the organism’s capacity for plasticity. Integrating the temporal component in how we describe, quantify, and conceptualize phenotypic plasticity can change our understanding of its diversity, evolution, and consequences.

Contact: Salima Rafai