Figure 5. Faster Environmental Fluctuations Yield Greater Genetic Potential.

Genetic potential is the likelihood that a mutation to a gene coding for the currently favored phenotype will produce the intermediate or unfavored phenotype. Thick lines correspond to populations that have reached stable oscillations when λ = 100, and thin lines correspond to populations that experience a single environmental shift after having equilibrated in a constant environment. The maximum genetic potential after a single shift is significantly less than the minimum under persistent fluctuations.