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MORPHOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES AND PROBLEMS OF SPECIATION IN DROSOPHILA
Author(s) -
Reed S. C.,
Reed E. W.
Publication year - 1948
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/j.1558-5646.1948.tb02730.x
Subject(s) - drosophila (subgenus) , biology , citation , library science , genetic algorithm , genealogy , evolutionary biology , history , computer science , genetics , gene
The usefulness of Drosophila in the development of genetic theory and as cytological material is known to all biologists, but it may not yet be obvious to all that the genus Drosophila offers highly favorable material also for the study of speciation. In the early days of Drosophila taxonomy separation of the species of the genus was accomplished by comparison of gross morphological traits. This method missed the interesting "borderline cases" between race and species but it was satisfying in that there was little difficulty involved in making out labels for individual dead specimens. If, however, the scientist becomes interested in the genetics, physiology, and environmental variations amnong the living members of the genus more and more refined methods are needed for the separation of the species within it. This is particularly true in Drosophila because here speciation is frequently accompanied by relatively little differentiation in morphological characters. The tendency to consider small differences, such as relative sizes of parts of the insect as useful indications of species differentiation, even to the point of separation of species on statistical differences, is no doubt exasperating to the museum man. Nevertheless, this is inevitable if we wish the species names to reflect the biological facts. Data are presented in this article concerning small morphological differences between some of the "borderline cases"