Selection on Heritable Phenotypic Plasticity in a Wild Bird Population

TLDR

Theoretical and laboratory research suggests that phenotypic plasticity can evolve under selection, but evidence for its evolutionary potential in the wild is lacking. The study presents evidence from a Dutch great‑tit population that individual plasticity in breeding timing varies and is heritable. The study finds that individual plasticity in breeding timing is heritable, selection for highly plastic individuals has intensified over 32 years, coinciding with climate‑driven mismatches between breeding and prey, and that continued selection on plasticity could mitigate this mismatch.

Abstract

Theoretical and laboratory research suggests that phenotypic plasticity can evolve under selection. However, evidence for its evolutionary potential from the wild is lacking. We present evidence from a Dutch population of great tits (Parus major) for variation in individual plasticity in the timing of reproduction, and we show that this variation is heritable. Selection favoring highly plastic individuals has intensified over a 32-year period. This temporal trend is concurrent with climate change causing a mismatch between the breeding times of the birds and their caterpillar prey. Continued selection on plasticity can act to alleviate this mismatch.