Studies on Natural Populations of Drosophila. III. Morphological and Genetic Differences of Wing Length in Drosophila melanogaster and D. simulans in Relation to Season

Evolution ◽  
1964 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 560 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. O. Tantawy
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Wing Length ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Genetic Differences

scholarly journals Variation in wing length in Eurasian natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster

Heredity ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 72 (5) ◽  
pp. 508-514 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra G Imasheva ◽  
Oleg A Bubli ◽  
Oleg E Lazebny
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Wing Length ◽  
Natural Populations

scholarly journals Heritability of Two Morphological Characters Within and Among Natural Populations of Drosophila melanogaster

Genetics ◽  
1987 ◽  
Vol 117 (4) ◽  
pp. 727-737
Author(s):  
Jerry A Coyne ◽  
Edward Beecham
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Wing Length ◽  
Genetic Correlations ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Correlated Response ◽  
Population Means ◽  
Bristle Number ◽  
Genetic Differentiation Of Populations ◽  
Geographic Differences

ABSTRACT Heritabilities of wing length and abdominal bristle number, as well as genetic correlations between these characters, were determined within and among populations of Drosophila melanogaster in nature. Substantial "natural" heritabilities were found when wild-caught flies from one population were compared to their laboratory-reared offspring. Natural heritabilities of bristle number approximated those derived from laboratory-raised parents and offspring, but wing length heritability was significantly lower in nature than in the laboratory. Among-population heritabilities, estimated by regressing population means of wild-caught flies against those of their laboratory-reared descendants, were close to 0.5. The genetic differentiation of populations was clinal with latitude, and was accompanied by significant geographic differences in the norms of reaction to temperature. These clines are similar to those reported on other continents and in other Drosophila species, and are almost certainly caused by natural selection. Genetic regressions between the characters reveal that the cline in bristle number may be a correlated response to geographic selection on wing length, but not vice versa. Our results indicate that there is a sizable genetic component to phenotypic variation within and among populations of D. melanogaster in nature.

scholarly journals GENETIC DIVERGENCE UNDER UNIFORM SELECTION. II. DIFFERENT RESPONSES TO SELECTION FOR KNOCKDOWN RESISTANCE TO ETHANOL AMONG DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER POPULATIONS AND THEIR REPLICATE LINES

Genetics ◽  
1986 ◽  
Vol 114 (1) ◽  
pp. 145-164
Author(s):  
Frederick M Cohan ◽  
Ary A Hoffmann
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Genetic Drift ◽  
Genetic Background ◽  
Ethanol Tolerance ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Selection Response ◽  
Genetic Differences ◽  
Knockdown Resistance ◽  
Selected Lines ◽  
Selection For

ABSTRACT We have tested the hypothesis that genetic differences among conspecific populations may result in diverse responses to selection, using natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster. Selection for ethanol tolerance in a tube measuring knockdown resistance was imposed on five West Coast populations. In 24 generations the selected lines increased their mean knockdown times, on average, by a factor of 2.7. An initially weak latitudinal cline was steepened by selection. The two southernmost populations showed the same increases in the selected character, but differed consistently in their correlated responses in characters related to ethanol tolerance. This result indicates that the populations responded to selection by different genetic changes. Selection decreased female body weight and increased resistance to acetone, suggesting components of the response unrelated to ethanol metabolism. The Adhs allele was favored by selection in all populations at the onset, but increased in frequency only in the selected lines of the southernmost population. There was a correlation between latitude and Adh frequency changes, suggesting that fitnesses of the Adh alleles were dependent on the genetic background. Genetic background also had a large effect on the loss of fitness due to selection. Genetic drift between replicate lines caused more variation in selection response than initial genetic differences between populations. This result demonstrates the importance of genetic drift in divergence among natural populations undergoing uniform selection, since the effective population sizes approached those of small natural populations. Drift caused greater divergence between selected replicates than control replicates. Implications of this result for the genetic model of selection response are discussed.

scholarly journals Female Genotypes Affect Sperm Displacement in Drosophila

Genetics ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 149 (3) ◽  
pp. 1487-1493 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew G Clark ◽  
David J Begun
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Isogenic Line ◽  
Female Fitness ◽  
Sperm Displacement ◽  
Extensive Variation ◽  
Polymorphic Genes ◽  
Displacement Parameter ◽  
Competitive Success

Abstract Differential success of sperm is likely to be an important component of fitness. Extensive variation among male genotypes in competitive success of sperm in multiply mated females has been documented for Drosophila melanogaster. However, virtually all previous studies considered the female to be a passive vessel. Nevertheless, under certain conditions female fitness could be determined by her role in mediating use of sperm from multiple males. Here we ask whether females differ among genotypes in their tendency to exhibit last-male precedence. Competition of sperm from two tester male genotypes (bwD and B3-09, a third-chromosome isogenic line from Beltsville, MD) was quantified by doubly mating female lines that had been rendered homozygous for X, second, or third chromosomes isolated from natural populations. The composite sperm displacement parameter, P2′, was highly heterogeneous among lines, whether or not viability effects were compensated, implying the presence of polymorphic genes affecting access of sperm to eggs. Genetic variation of this type is completely neutral in the absence of pleiotropy or interaction between variation in the two sexes.

scholarly journals The Regulatory Properties of Autonomous Subtelomeric P Elements Are Sensitive to a Suppressor of variegation in Drosophila melanogaster

Genetics ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 143 (4) ◽  
pp. 1663-1674 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stéphane Ronsseray ◽  
Monique Lehmann ◽  
Danielle Nouaud ◽  
Dominique Anxolabéhère
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Genetic Recombination ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
P Element ◽  
Single Element ◽  
Heterochromatin Protein 1 ◽  
X Chromosomes ◽  
P Elements ◽  
Associated Sequences ◽  
Regulatory Properties

Abstract Genetic recombination was used in Drosophila melanogaster to isolate P elements, inserted at the telomeres of X chromosomes (cytological site 1A) from natural populations, in a genetic background devoid of other P elements. We show that complete maternally inherited P repression in the germline (P cytotype) can be elicited by only two autonomous P elements at 1A and that a single element at this site has partial regulatory properties. The analysis of the surrounding chromosomal regions of the P elements at 1A shows that in all cases these elements are flanked by Telomeric Associated Sequences, tandemly repetitive noncoding sequences that have properties of heterochromatin. In addition, we show that the regulatory properties of P elements at 1A can be inhibited by some of the mutant alleles of the Su(var)205 gene and by a deficiency of this gene. However, the regulatory properties of reference P strains (Harwich and Texas 007) are not impaired by Su(var)205 mutations. Su(var)205 encodes Heterochromatin Protein 1 (HP1). These results suggest that the HP1 dosage effect on the P element properties is sitedependent and could involve the structure of the chromatin.

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