About this Research Topic
Organisms live within spatially and temporally dynamic environments. In order to
cope with such ever-changing conditions, phenotypic plasticity is a wide-spread
mean that allows organisms with a given genotype to express environmentally
adapted phenotypes. Adaptive phenotypes eventually increase organismal fitness
levels and can therefore affect community structures.
In order to react plastically to changing environmental conditions organisms must be
able to perceive and predict upcoming environmental challenges, interpret the
change in the environment and then express an alternative phenotype that increases
organism fitness.
Therefore, one central scope of recent scientific endeavors is to unravel, what kind of
environmental information organisms perceive, and then how they perceive and
integrate this information. In order to elucidate the adaptive value of the phenotypic
response, comprehensive analyses of the phenotype (i.e. changes in behavior,
morphology and life-history) are crucial.
With this Research Topic, we aim to illuminate the biological pathways underlying the expression of adaptive phenotypes spanning from the identification of environmental
cues, to the adapted phenotype, and how it improves organismal fitness in the new
environment.
We welcome contributions identifying critical environmental cues (biotic and abiotic)
that indicate upcoming environmental challenges, the involved receptors (e.g.
chemoreceptors relevant for perceiving con-or heterospecific cues, or light receptors
capable to perceive changes in the photoperiod). As these cues subsequently have
to be interpreted by the nervous system, we welcome articles covering aspects of
neuronal transmission, neuronal plasticity and how developmental trajectories are
changed in order to express adaptive phenotypes. In order to comprehensively
understand how fitness is optimized to the new environment we also call for articles,
that analyze behavioral, morphological and life-history adaptations and how these
increase organismal fitness.
We encourage comparative experimental approaches or reviews spanning different
organismal groups to better understand common patterns of the mechanisms
underlying phenotypic plasticity. We also welcome articles, that study how
anthropogenic challenges (e.g. climate change, or light pollution) can affect these
signalling cascades, leading to misinterpretations of the environment and phenotypic
maladaptation.
cope with such ever-changing conditions, phenotypic plasticity is a wide-spread
mean that allows organisms with a given genotype to express environmentally
adapted phenotypes. Adaptive phenotypes eventually increase organismal fitness
levels and can therefore affect community structures.
In order to react plastically to changing environmental conditions organisms must be
able to perceive and predict upcoming environmental challenges, interpret the
change in the environment and then express an alternative phenotype that increases
organism fitness.
Therefore, one central scope of recent scientific endeavors is to unravel, what kind of
environmental information organisms perceive, and then how they perceive and
integrate this information. In order to elucidate the adaptive value of the phenotypic
response, comprehensive analyses of the phenotype (i.e. changes in behavior,
morphology and life-history) are crucial.
With this Research Topic, we aim to illuminate the biological pathways underlying the expression of adaptive phenotypes spanning from the identification of environmental
cues, to the adapted phenotype, and how it improves organismal fitness in the new
environment.
We welcome contributions identifying critical environmental cues (biotic and abiotic)
that indicate upcoming environmental challenges, the involved receptors (e.g.
chemoreceptors relevant for perceiving con-or heterospecific cues, or light receptors
capable to perceive changes in the photoperiod). As these cues subsequently have
to be interpreted by the nervous system, we welcome articles covering aspects of
neuronal transmission, neuronal plasticity and how developmental trajectories are
changed in order to express adaptive phenotypes. In order to comprehensively
understand how fitness is optimized to the new environment we also call for articles,
that analyze behavioral, morphological and life-history adaptations and how these
increase organismal fitness.
We encourage comparative experimental approaches or reviews spanning different
organismal groups to better understand common patterns of the mechanisms
underlying phenotypic plasticity. We also welcome articles, that study how
anthropogenic challenges (e.g. climate change, or light pollution) can affect these
signalling cascades, leading to misinterpretations of the environment and phenotypic
maladaptation.
Keywords: sensory ecology, sensory neuroscience, receptors, modulators, phenotypic plasticity
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
