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The genetic basis of adaptive pigmentation variation in Drosophila melanogaster
Author(s) -
POOL JOHN E.,
AQUADRO CHARLES F.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
molecular ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.619
H-Index - 225
eISSN - 1365-294X
pISSN - 0962-1083
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2007.03324.x
Subject(s) - biology , drosophila melanogaster , genetics , haplotype , allele , exon , melanogaster , locus (genetics) , candidate gene , gene , genetic variation , population , chromosome , adaptation (eye) , evolutionary biology , demography , neuroscience , sociology
In a broad survey of Drosophila melanogaster population samples, levels of abdominal pigmentation were found to be highly variable and geographically differentiated. A strong positive correlation was found between dark pigmentation and high altitude, suggesting adaptation to specific environments. DNA sequence polymorphism at the candidate gene ebony revealed a clear association with the pigmentation of homozygous third chromosome lines. The darkest lines sequenced had nearly identical haplotypes spanning 14.5 kb upstream of the protein‐coding exons of ebony . Thus, natural selection may have elevated the frequency of an allele that confers dark abdominal pigmentation by influencing the regulation of ebony .