Abstract
When measured directly, rather than inferred from pedigree analyses, the relationship between similarity in phenotype and similarity in DNA sequence was detectable at the level of members of a single population and strongly depended on the environmental context. Genetic divergence among 27 co-occurring genotypes of Abutilon theophrasti, a common annual plant, was less than 5 per cent as revealed by RAPD-PCR analysis based on over 400 bands per genotype. Nevertheless, within this narrow range, there was a positive correlation between genetic similarity and similarity in the performance of genotypes on temperature and moisture gradients, suggesting that plasticity itself has a genetic basis. No relationship was detected, however, when the phenotypic plasticity was expressed in response to gradients of light intensity or soil fertilization, indicating a weaker genetic basis, or suggesting possible involvement of a few genes of major effect.
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