SICB 2012 Society-Wide Symposium: The Impacts of Developmental Plasticity on Evolutionary Innovation and Diversification; January 3-7, 2012 Mtg; Charleston, SC

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Evolutionary theory, the conceptual framework used to explain the origins of all biological diversity, has itself been evolving over the past two centuries. Since the early 20th century, biologists have been integrating Darwinian evolution and genetics in what is known as the Modern Evolutionary Synthesis: as we learn more about the genetic mechanisms that produce individual organisms, we can better understand how processes such as natural selection shape these genetic mechanisms to produce new traits, new species and new strains of diseases. While this fusion of disciplines has proven enormously fruitful, it is becoming increasingly clear that evolutionary theory is primed for another leap forward in its own evolution, through the integration of developmental and environmental biology into the existing conceptual framework. Historically, biologists considered only a single role for the environment in evolution; it is the agent of natural selection, determining which individuals are well-adapted to survive long enough to leave similarly well-adapted offspring, and which poorly-adapted individuals do not. However, developmental biology now tells us that the environment also impacts how genes are translated into traits during development, with the same genes producing different traits in different environments (developmental plasticity). Thus, the environment affects what traits develop in different individuals, and then selects among them. Theory predicts that this dual role of the environment can impact the types of traits that evolve, the way new species form, and the speed with which evolution occurs. It is time for theory to be tested by experimental evidence; thus, the society-wide symposium is designed to advance the field beyond recognizing the need for further research toward designing and implementing effective research programs. In the integrative spirit of this new line of inquiry, a diverse group of researchers has been assembled who study developmental plasticity and its consequences in a variety of organisms, using diverse approaches. This focus on translating thought to action should stimulate new avenues of research in many labs, most importantly providing new ideas to graduate students and beginning investigators, the new generation of scientists tasked with determining all of the consequences of unprecedented rates of environmental change.