Understanding the process of the adaptive evolution of phenotypes is a fundamental problem in evolutionary biology. Phenotypic expression has variously been attributed to developmental, genetic and environmental factors, but few attempts have been made to integrate these approaches. This book presents a cohesive view of how adaptive phenotypes evolve, recognizing organisms as complex genetic-epigenetic systems that develop in response to changing internal and external environments.

Table of Contents

Phenotypic evolution; antecedents of the reaction norm perspective; reaction norms and phenotypic plasticity; ontogeny and heterochrony; allometry; phenotypic integrations; epigenetics; constraints on phenotypic evolution; evolution of reaction norms and phenotypes; future research.