A response to ‘Quantifying phenotypic plasticity at multiple levels—A comment on Gómez et al.’

Abstract In this reply, we clarify several conceptual misunderstandings raised in response to our Perspective on quantifying phenotypic plasticity. We emphasize that our central argument concerns the rigorous estimation of the magnitude of plasticity, rather than its mere detection. Moreover, an explicit consideration of genotype—or valid proxies thereof—is necessary to distinguish environmental variance from genotype‐by‐environment (G × E) interactions. Although phenotypic plasticity can be examined across multiple levels of biological organization, its accurate quantification ultimately depends on a genotype–environment framework that underlies phenotypic expression. We hope that this exchange helps refine methodological standards and fosters a more precise understanding of the evolutionary implications of phenotypic plasticity. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.