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Direct and correlated responses to selection for desiccation resistance: a comparison of Drosophila melanogaster and D. simulans
Author(s) -
Hoffmann Ary A.,
Parsons P. A.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
journal of evolutionary biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.289
H-Index - 128
eISSN - 1420-9101
pISSN - 1010-061X
DOI - 10.1046/j.1420-9101.1993.6050643.x
Subject(s) - biology , drosophila melanogaster , melanogaster , desiccation , selection (genetic algorithm) , drosophila (subgenus) , replicate , zoology , ecology , genetics , gene , statistics , computer science , artificial intelligence , mathematics
Replicate lines of Drosophila melanogaster and D. simulans originating from the same location in Australia were selected at two selection intensities (50%, 85% mortality) for increased resistance to desiccation, and scored for correlated responses to see if similar physiological changes were associated with the selection responses. Realized heritabilities were much higher in D. melanogaster . Selected lines of both species were more resistant than control lines to starvation and a toxic ethanol concentration. Both species also showed similar correlated responses for traits underlying the selection response: selected lines lost water at a slower rate and had reduced activity levels in a dry environment, but they did not differ in wet or dry body weight or in water content. For D. melanogaster , realized heritabilities for lines selected at 85% mortality were higher than for lines selected at 50% mortality, but there was no effect of selection intensity for D. simulans . Comparative studies of this nature may be useful in predicting the extent to which species can adapt to stress in the wild.