Quantitative genetic models of robustness and evolvability.
Abstract
Theoretical models of the evolution of discrete phenotypes show that the
most evolvable populations are composed of genotypes with intermediate
levels of phenotypic robustness. This has been attributed to a special
kind of epistasis, the analog of which for complex quantitative traits
might not readily apparent. Here, with simulation models, I show that a
variety of plausible kinds of quantitative genetic epistasis will do; as
long as it increases cryptic genetic diversity and expected allele
effect sizes are not too large. In fact, epistasis is not necessary,
since cryptic genetic diversity can also accumulate via phenotypic
plasticity. But with phenotypic plasticity, the mapping of phenotypic
robustness to evolvability is sensitive to the nature and predictability
of environmental variation. So, just as for discrete-traits, the
robustness of quantitative traits can have complex effects on
evolvability, and this depends on exactly how genetic diversity is
hidden and revealed.