Geographic and genetic variation in death-feigning behavior in the flour beetle,Tribolium castaneum

1981 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 395-401 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leslie A. Prohammer ◽  
Michael J. Wade
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Tribolium Castaneum ◽  
Flour Beetle ◽  
Death Feigning

scholarly journals Responses to relaxed and reverse selection in strains artificially selected for duration of death-feigning behavior in the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 161-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kentarou Matsumura ◽  
Takahisa Miyatake
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Tribolium Castaneum ◽  
Red Flour Beetle ◽  
Term Selection ◽  
Flour Beetle ◽  
Death Feigning ◽  
Selection Experiments ◽  
Selection For ◽  
Predator Behavior

Abstract Divergent lines selected artificially for many generations make it possible to answer two questions: (1) whether genetic variation still exists within the selected population; and (2) whether the selection itself is costly for the selected strain. In previous studies, the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum was divergently selected artificially for duration of death-feigning, and strains selected for longer (L-strain) and shorter (S-strain) durations of death-feigning have been established (Miyatake et al. 2004, 2008). Because the selection experiments have been conducted for more than 27 generations, genetic variation may be eroded. Furthermore, because another previous study reported physiological costs to L-strains, the L-strains selected artificially for longer duration of death-feigning may have suffered more costs than the S-strains. In the present study, therefore, we relaxed the selection pressure after the 27th or 30th generation of S- and L-strains. We also carried out reverse selection during the most recent eight generations of S- and L-strains. The results showed that each strain clearly responded to relaxation of selection and reverse selection, suggesting that (1) additive genetic variation still existed in both strains after long-term selection, and (2) selection for shorter and longer duration of death-feigning was costly. These results suggest that anti-predator behavior is controlled by many loci, and longer or shorter duration of death-feigning is costly in a laboratory without predators.

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