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Environmental effects on body size variation in Drosophila melanogaster and its cellular basis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 1997

G. H. DE MOED
Affiliation:
Population Genetics, Department of Plant Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands
G. DE JONG
Affiliation:
Population Genetics, Department of Plant Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands
W. SCHARLOO
Affiliation:
Population Genetics, Department of Plant Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Abstract

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Eight isofemale lines of Drosophila melanogaster were raised at four temperatures and at four yeast concentrations in their food. Temperature and food show a significant interaction in determining wing length and thorax length, affecting mean size per line and genetic variation between lines. The combination of low temperature and poor food conditions leads to a sharp increase in the genetic variation over lines of both body size characters. The increase in genetic variation in wing length under less favourable conditions is due to an increase in genetic variation of both cell size and cell number. Changes in wing area in response to both temperature and food level follow a common cell size/cell number trajectory. Changes in wing size are obtained by line-specific changes in the cellular composition of the wing, rather than by changes specific for the environmental factor.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 1997 Cambridge University Press