Selection for oviposition preference inDrosophila melanogaster

Abstract

Populations of Drosophila melanogaster were subjected to selection for differing oviposition preference under allopatric and sympatric conditions. Flies were presented with the choice of a potato-based medium and a medium containing sugar and killed yeast on which to lay their eggs. Some gene flow was possible under sympatric conditions. In the allopatric lines selection was successful in rapidly generating an increased preference for sugar, and in the sympatric lines divergent oviposition preferences were generated in two cases out of four. A significant degree of reproductive isolation between one pair of allopatric lines was generated after eighteen months of selection.

Differential responses to artificial selection on oviposition site preferences in Drosophila melanogaster and D. simulans

“…These results are in agreement with a previous survey in D. melanogaster natural populations (including the population studied in this paper) which revealed substantial genetic variation in OP for grape and orange (Betti et al ., , ). Moreover, earlier studies of oviposition site preference reported significant responses to selection when flies were offered nonnatural media as oviposition substrates: lab medium versus paper, potato‐based versus sugar and killed yeast containing medium (Bird & Semionoff, ; R'Kha et al ., ; Miller et al ., ; Abed‐Vieillard et al ., ). In addition, other studies reported significant responses to selection for other aspects of oviposition, such as gregarious behavior (Ruiz‐Dubreuil & del Solar, ) and learning ability (Mery & Kawecki, ).…”

Reproductive ecology of Drosophila

“…Considerable intraspecific variability exists for oviposition site preference. For example, D. melanogaster rapidly respond to selection for oviposition site preference (Takamura & Fuyama 1977; Bird & Semionoff 1986; Ruiz‐Dubreuil & del Solar 1986). Barker & Starmer (1999) and Barker et al .…”

Interspecific hybridization between Drosophtta species group melanogaster sibling species. Fitness components

“…This general situation, and the fact that these fitness components are hybrid-specific, may reflect their characteristic mating propensities (ALAHIOTIS and GOULIELMOS 1986), resulting from their specific genetic structure. This view could be supported, in part, by the finding of BIRD and SEMEONOFF (1986) that populations of D. melanoguster subjected to selection for differing oviposition preference resulted in the establishment of a significant degree of reproductive isolation.…”

“…The components studied in this research are: fecundity, fertility, viability, developmental time, sex ratio, and oviposition rhythm, all of them being important multifactorial parameters for the genetics of speciation (YAMAZAKI 1984;BIRD and SEMEONOFF 1986;KILIAS et al 1980;MARINKOVIC and AYALA 1986;LACHAISE et al 1986). …”