Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The Baldwin effect is an important theoretical mechanism in evolutionary theory in which beneficial mutations follow the adoption of new behavioral adaptations in animals. This model has not been applied to fungi and other microorganisms because they cannot transmit behavioral routines between individuals within a population before they are encoded genetically. Nevertheless, a version of the Baldwin effect may drive the evolutionary trajectories of the fungi when individual mycelia make choices as they grow and branch in different directions. Through these displays of phenotypic plasticity or individuality some mycelia produce more offspring than others and will thereby stabilize post hoc mutations that favor specific mycelial geometries in response to environmental pressure.
Source: Fungal Biology
Author: Nicholas P. Money
Institution: Miami University
Language: English
Subfield: Genetics
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $2,500
OpenAlex ID: W7212192423