when analyzing the types of changes that can occur to a phenotype, we can see changes that are behavioral, morphological, or physiological. a characteristic of the phenotype that arises through adaptive maternal effects, is the plasticity of this phenotype. phenotypic plasticity allows organisms to adjust their phenotype to various environments, thereby enhancing their fitness to changing environmental conditions. ultimately it is a key attribute to an organism's, and a population's, ability to adapt to short term environmental change.