Citation
Transcriptional Profiling of Predator-Induced Phenotypic Plasticity in Daphnia pulex
TL;DR
Daphnia develop defensive morphology (neckteeth) in response to predator chemical signals
This research documents the molecular mechanism of predator-induced defenses in Daphnia - specifically the 'neckteeth' that develop when juveniles detect kairomones from predatory phantom midges. The study shows how same genotype produces different phenotypes based on environmental chemical signals.
For business strategy, this illustrates how organizations can maintain genetic code (capabilities, culture) while expressing different phenotypes (strategies, structures) based on environmental signals - without the slow process of organizational 'mutation.'
Key Findings from Weiss & al. (2015)
- Daphnia develop defensive morphology (neckteeth) in response to predator chemical signals
- Same genotype produces different phenotypes based on environmental cues
- Gene expression changes drive morphological transformation
- Adaptation occurs within lifetime, not across generations