Premium
Discontinuous gas exchange exhibition is a heritable trait in speckled cockroaches N auphoeta cinerea
Author(s) -
Schimpf N. G.,
Matthews P. G. D.,
White C. R.
Publication year - 2013
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/jeb.12093
Subject(s) - biology , selection (genetic algorithm) , trait , natural selection , evolutionary biology , insect , ecology , zoology , artificial intelligence , computer science , programming language
The regulation of insect respiratory gas exchange has long been an area of interest. In particular, the reason why insects from at least five orders exhibit patterns of gas exchange that include regular periods of spiracular closure has been the source of much controversy. Three adaptive hypotheses propose that these discontinuous gas‐exchange cycles ( DGC s) evolved to either limit water loss across respiratory surfaces, facilitate gas exchange in underground environments or to limit oxidative damage. It is possible that DGC s evolved independently multiple times and for different reasons, but for DGC s to be a plausible target for natural selection, they must be heritable and confer a fitness benefit. In a previous study of cockroaches N auphoeta cinerea, we demonstrated that DGC s are repeatable and extend survival under food and water restriction. Here, we show for the first time that DGC s are heritable, suggesting that they are a plausible target for natural selection.