Ontogenetic changes in the targets of natural selection in three plant defenses

• The evolution of plant defenses has traditionally been studied at single plant ontogenetic stages, overlooking the fact that natural selection acts continuously on organisms along their development, and that the adaptive value of phenotypes can change along ontogeny. • We exposed 20 replicated genotypes of Turnera velutina to field conditions to evaluate whether the targets of natural selection on different defenses and their adaptative value change across plant development. • We found that low chemical defense was favored in seedlings, which seems to be explained by the assimilation efficiency and the ability of the specialist herbivore to sequester cyanogenic glycosides. Whereas trichome density was unfavored in juvenile plants, it increased relative plant fitness in reproductive plants. At this stage we also found a positive correlative gradient between cyanogenic potential and sugar content in extrafloral nectar. • We visualize this complex multi-trait combination as an ontogenetic defensive strategy. The inclusion of whole-plant ontogeny as a key source of variation in plant defense revealed that the targets and intensity of selection change along the development of plants, indicating that the influence of natural selection cannot be inferred without the assessment of ontogenetic strategies in the expression of multiple defenses.