Abstract
Research highlights for issue 6: the applicability of model system research.
Highlights
Our ability to apply evolutionary theory is necessarily limited by our understanding of natural systems
Among the model systems offering a wealth of insight across fields are the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, the fly Drosophila melanogaster, and the plant Arabidopsis thaliana
In terms of real life application, the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has the clearest relevance given its use in fermentation processes, the evolutionary history of which has been recently reviewed by Dashko et al (2014)
Summary
Our ability to apply evolutionary theory is necessarily limited by our understanding of natural systems. Among the model systems offering a wealth of insight across fields are the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, the fly Drosophila melanogaster, and the plant Arabidopsis thaliana. These systems, among others, became models due in part to their ease of use in the lab, relative ubiquity, short generation time, and, in part, due to chance. A new study by Sikkink et al (2014) has examined the importance of phenotypic plasticity in adapting to extreme environments using the outcrossing sister species C. remanei They experimentally selected for worms that were able to better withstand heat shock during development and found both increased tolerance of heat shock and altered phenotypic plasticity when reared in a novel environment, emphasizing both the role evolution can play in shaping plasticity and the importance of plasticity in allowing adaptation to novel and/or extreme environments. Through morphological comparisons of the pest D. suzukii with its close relatives, the authors propose an evolutionary model to explain the modification of the ovipositor that allows puncture of susceptible fruits, demonstrating the utility of an evolutionary framework for addressing questions of pest emergence and management
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