Impact of phenotypic plasticity on tempo and mode of speciation processes in quasi-natural selection environments

表型可塑性在物种形成过程中的作用（即单一基因型产生几种表型的能力）尚未完全理解：一方面，它可能通过产生适应的表型而不会在基因型中产生可遗传的变化来抑制破坏性或定向选择的影响。另一方面，它可能促进种群分化，因为它使种群能够对环境变化作出即时反应，并可能使种群进入新的适应高峰。尽管理论研究已经解决了这种差异，但在建立生殖隔离过程中表型可塑性作用的关键方面尚未经过实验测试。这个探索性项目的目标是为随后的关于表型可塑性在准自然选择环境中的物种形成过程中的作用的完整建议制定一个实验框架。对于这个框架，我们的目标是收集，饲养，并系统地测试三个潜在的模式物种的甲壳类亚类桡足类的可塑性在特定的形态和行为特征。基于这些结果，随后的项目将集中在同种种群之间的表型可塑性差异是否会反映在种群分化的克里思的问题。

The role of phenotypic plasticity in speciation processes (i.e. the ability of a single genotype to produce several phenotypes) is not yet fully understood: On the one hand, it may dampen the impact of disruptive or directional selection by producing adapted phenotypes without a heritable change in the genotype. On the other hand, it may facilitate population divergence because it enables an instant response to environmental changes and may bring a population in the realm of a new adaptive peak. Whereas theoretical studies have addressed this discrepancy, crucial aspects of the role of phenotypic plasticity during the establishment of reproductive isolation have not been tested yet experimentally. The objective of this exploratory project is to develop an experimental framework for a subsequent full proposal on the role of phenotypic plasticity in speciation processes in a quasi-natural selection environment. For this framework, we aim at collecting, rearing, and systematically testing three potential model species of the crustacean sub-class Copepoda for plasticity in specific morphological and behavioural traits. Based on these results, the subsequent project will focus on the question whether differences in phenotypic plasticity among conspecific populations will be mirrored in the tempo of population divergence.