RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Adaptive divergence generates distinct plastic responses in two closely related Senecio species JF bioRxiv FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory SP 2020.01.24.918201 DO 10.1101/2020.01.24.918201 A1 Greg M. Walter A1 James Clark A1 Antonia Cristaudo A1 Delia Terranova A1 Bruno Nevado A1 Stefania Catara A1 Momchil Paunov A1 Violeta Velikova A1 Dmitry Filatov A1 Salvatore Cozzolino A1 Simon J. Hiscock A1 Jon R. Bridle YR 2021 UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2021/05/27/2020.01.24.918201.abstract AB The evolution of plastic responses to external cues allows species to track the environmental variation they regularly experience. However, it remains unclear how plasticity evolves during adaptation. To test whether distinct patterns of plasticity is associated with recent adaptive divergence, we quantified plasticity for two closely related but ecologically divergent Sicilian daisy species (Senecio, Asteraceae). We sampled c.40 genotypes of each species from natural populations on and around Mt Etna and then reciprocally transplanted multiple clones of each genotype into four field sites along an elevational gradient representing each species’ native range, the edge of their range, and conditions outside their native range. At each elevation we quantified survival and measured leaf traits that included investment (specific leaf area), morphology, chlorophyll fluorescence, pigment content and gene expression. As evidence of adaptive divergence, both species performed better at their native site and better than the species from the other habitat. Traits and differentially expressed genes that changed with elevation in one species often showed little change in the other species, or changed in the opposite direction. Adaptive divergence is therefore associated with the evolution of distinct plastic responses to environmental variation, despite these two species sharing a recent common ancestor.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.