Developmental homeostasis and floral form: Evolutionary consequences and genetic basis

Plant biologists have largely ignored the role of developmental homeostasis in the evolution of floral traits. In this brief review, we discuss the relationship between floral form and developmental homeostasis, emphasizing that developmental homeostasis, as any other character, may respond to natural selection. We discuss the implications of developmental homeostasis being a selectively labile trait for the evolution of floral characters. A trait's ability to respond to selection is in part determined by its genetic basis. Therefore, we also discuss evidence for the genetic basis of developmental homeostasis and how it influences the evolution of developmental homeostasis and ultimately floral diversity. We conclude with a series of suggestions for future research, calling for a synthetic approach utilizing ecological, morphological, quantitative genetic, and molecular methodologies.