Figure 1.
Three kinds of predictability. The environment space corresponds to all possible environments, the phenotype space to all possible phenotypes and the genotype space to all possible genotypes. The black point represents the initial state at t = 0 (E0, initial environment, P0, initial phenotype, G0, initial genotype). The crossed point corresponds to the final state (Ef, final environment, Pf, final phenotype, Gf, final genotype). For simplification, a point in genotype and phenotype space corresponds here to one individual. Vertical bars indicate associations between genotypes, phenotypes and environments. Predictions are highlighted in yellow. (a) Experimental evolution studies suggest that if P0, G0 and Ef are known, then for certain cases we can predict Pf and Gf. (b) Studies of convergent evolution suggest that if we know Ef then for certain cases we can predict Pf. (c) Evolutionary genetics suggests that if we know P0 and Pf, then for certain cases we can predict G0 and Gf.