RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 A mathematical framework for evo-devo dynamics
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 2021.05.17.444499
DO 10.1101/2021.05.17.444499
A1 Mauricio González-Forero
A1 Andy Gardner
YR 2021
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2021/05/19/2021.05.17.444499.abstract
AB Natural selection acts on phenotypes constructed over development, which raises the question of how development affects evolution. Existing mathematical theory has considered either evolutionary dynamics while neglecting developmental dynamics, or developmental dynamics while neglecting evolutionary dynamics by assuming evolutionary equilibrium. We formulate a mathematical framework that integrates explicit developmental dynamics into evolutionary dynamics. We consider two types of traits: genetic traits called control variables and developed traits called state variables. Developed traits are constructed over ontogeny according to a developmental map of ontogenetically prior traits and the social and non-social environment. We obtain general equations describing the evolutionary-developmental (evo-devo) dynamics. These equations can be arranged in a layered structure called the evo-devo process, where five elementary components generate all equations including those describing genetic covariation and the evo-devo dynamics. These equations recover Lande’s equation as a special case and describe the evolution of Lande’s G-matrix from the evolution of the phenotype, environment, and mutational covariation. This shows that genetic variation is necessarily absent in some directions of phenotype space if at least one trait develops and enough traits are included in the analysis so as to guarantee dynamic sufficiency. Consequently, directional selection alone is generally insufficient to identify evolutionary equilibria. Instead, “total genetic selection” is sufficient to identify evolutionary equilibria if mutational variation exists in all directions of control space and exogenous plastic response vanishes. Developmental and environmental constraints influence the evolutionary equilibria and determine the admissible evolutionary trajectory. These results show that development has major evolutionary effects.