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Single and multigenerational responses of body mass to atmospheric oxygen concentrations in Drosophila melanogaster : evidence for roles of plasticity and evolution
Author(s) -
KLOK C. J.,
HUBB A. J.,
HARRISON J. F.
Publication year - 2009
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 - 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2009.01866.x
Subject(s) - hyperoxia , biology , drosophila melanogaster , hypoxia (environmental) , oxygen , zoology , developmental plasticity , respiration , ecology , phenotypic plasticity , experimental evolution , invertebrate , evolutionary biology , anatomy , plasticity , genetics , chemistry , physics , organic chemistry , gene , thermodynamics
Abstract Greater oxygen availability has been hypothesized to be important in allowing the evolution of larger invertebrates during the Earth’s history, and across aquatic environments. We tested for evolutionary and developmental responses of adult body size of Drosophila melanogaster to hypoxia and hyperoxia. Individually reared flies were smaller in hypoxia, but hyperoxia had no effect. In each of three oxygen treatments (hypoxia, normoxia or hyperoxia) we reared three replicate lines of flies for seven generations, followed by four generations in normoxia. In hypoxia, responses were due primarily to developmental plasticity, as average body size fell in one generation and returned to control values after one to two generations of normoxia. In hyperoxia, flies evolved larger body sizes. Maximal fly mass was reached during the first generation of return from hyperoxia to normoxia. Our results suggest that higher oxygen levels could cause invertebrate species to evolve larger average sizes, rather than simply permitting evolution of giant species.