Secondary meristems of plants as a model for studying the role of phenotypic plasticity during evolution
2.1. Experimental systems for studying phenotypic plasticity
One of the major questions concerning the interplay between phenotypic plasticity and the evolution of organisms is whether genetic fixation of plastic traits is a mechanism commonly used to couple environmental input with genetic
information. Sommer and Ogawa (2011), argue that a number of requirements must be fulfilled for a successful case study. First, detailed knowledge of the developmental process under study, especially at the genetic level, should be available, such that variation in molecular mechanisms controlling a particular trait can be investigated. Second, phenotypic variation among populations, or variability between closely related species, for the trait under investigation should exist. Third,
knowledge of the phylogenetic framework of the individuals or populations investigated must be robust enough to support the directionality of evolutionary change.