What concept explains why Key deer are significantly smaller than their mainland white-tail cousins?
Answer
Phenotypic plasticity.
The marked size difference between smaller subspecies, such as the Key deer found in island environments, and their larger mainland relatives illustrates the principle of phenotypic plasticity. This concept refers to the ability of a single genotype—a single species—to produce different physical traits (phenotypes) in response to varying local environmental conditions. For the Key deer, constraints such as limited resources or unique predator pressures in isolated environments directly influence their physical manifestation, resulting in a significantly smaller adult body size compared to deer living in mainland areas where resources might be more abundant or the need for large body mass for thermoregulation differs.
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