Biology 156 26 Mar 2001

Evolutionary Ecology Bob Podolsky

Week 11. Evolutionary morphology (part 2)

Study guide

After the module on phenotypic plasticity, you should be able to:

Lecture 9.1. Definitions and examples of plasticity

  1. Describe criteria necessary to show that plasticity is an adaptive feature of an organism
  2. Apply the criteria needed to demonstrate evolution by natural selection to the concept of demonstrating the evolution of plasticity
  3. Define and distinguish the terms polymorphism and polyphenism
  4. Describe Palumbi's initial observations about differences in sponge morphology among environments that varied in wave exposure
  5. Propose three hypotheses (different processes) that could underlie this pattern
  6. Describe experiments that Palumbi carried out to test one of these hypotheses, including the sponge characteristics he examined and his methods of measurement
  7. Explain his predictions about changes in sponge morphology and his graphical results
  8. Use Palumbi's data to examine his hypothesis that there are also costs to maintaining stiff/strong tissue
  9. Explain why Palumbi's results give support for a tradeoff that might select for the maintenance of morphological plasticity in individual sponges
  10. Describe Lively's initial observations about the spatial distribution of barnacles with two different morphologies
  11. Propose three hypotheses to explain this pattern he observed
  12. Explain the experiments that Lively used to test one hypothesis for how different barnacle morphologies are induced
  13. Use the total of Lively's data to evaluate whether tradeoffs exist that could select for morphological plasticity
  14. Review the results of Seeley for the evolution of snail morphology in response to crab predation, and give an alternative hypothesis proposed by Trussell to explain Seeley's results
  15. Explain why Trussell's data tend to support Seeley's hypothesis about the evolution of snail shells