Premium
THE INFLUENCE OF ABDOMINAL PIGMENTATION ON DESICCATION AND ULTRAVIOLET RESISTANCE IN TWO SPECIES OF DROSOPHILA
Author(s) -
Matute Daniel R.,
Harris Alexandra
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
evolution
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.84
H-Index - 199
eISSN - 1558-5646
pISSN - 0014-3820
DOI - 10.1111/evo.12122
Subject(s) - biology , drosophila (subgenus) , desiccation , ultraviolet radiation , pigment , zoology , ultraviolet light , mutant , botany , evolutionary biology , genetics , gene , chemistry , organic chemistry , photochemistry , radiochemistry
Drosophila yakuba and D. santomea are sister species that differ in their levels of abdominal pigmentation; D. yakuba shows heavily pigmented posterior abdominal segments in both sexes, whereas D. santomea lacks dark pigment anywhere on its body. Using naturally collected lines, we demonstrate the existence of altitudinal variation in abdominal pigmentation in D. yakuba but not in D. santomea . We use the variation in pigmentation within D. yakuba and two body‐color mutants in D. yakuba to elucidate selective advantage of differences in pigmentation. Our results indicate that although differences in abdominal pigmentation have no effect on desiccation resistance, lighter pigmentation confers ultraviolet radiation resistance in this pair of species.