Behavioral phenodeviance: A Lerneresque conjecture

Developmental instability, detectable in morphological and meristic characters, is typically associated with reduced fitness. The actual mechanism by which fitness is reduced in these cases is difficult to identify. We propose that developmental instability also manifests itself at the behavioral level and that when this occurs, behavioral phenodeviance is the result. According to this model, abnormal or phenodeviant behavior compromises fitness. Examples are provided from Drosophila and man.