evolutionary history of Drosophila buzzatii. XXIV. Second chromosome inversions have different average effects on thorax length

• Published in: Heredity 1992-06, Vol.68 (6), p.557-563
• Main Authors: Hasson, E, Fanara, J.J, Rodriguez, C, Vilardi, J.C, Reig, O.A, Fontdevila, A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Biological Evolution; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; body length; body size; Chromosome Inversion; chromosome polymorphism; chromosome rearrangement; chromosomes; Cytogenetics; dominance; Drosophila; Drosophila - genetics; Drosophila - growth & development; Drosophila buzzatii; Ecology; evolution; Evolutionary Biology; Female; genetic correlation; Genetic Variation - genetics; Human Genetics; inversion; karyotyping; length; life cycle (organisms); Male; Mathematics; natural selection; original-article; Plant Genetics and Genomics; Selection, Genetic; thorax
• ISSN: 0018-067X; 1365-2540
• DOI: 10.1038/hdy.1992.78

We demonstrate a genetic correlation between rearrangements of the second chromosome of D. buzzatii and thorax length, as a measure of body size. The results indicate that 2j and 2jz(3) arrangements are correlated with large size, whereas 2st arrangement is correlated with small size. Some inversions (2st and 2jz(3)) show dominant effects and others (2j/jz(3)) exhibit overdominance. These results show that at least 25 per cent of body size variation may be accounted for by the studied karyotypes. The possible integration of the genotypic, phenotypic and fitness levels, and also the possible implications to life-history evolution theories, are discussed. These results suggest that, under moderate to high heritability values, some kinds of chromosomal endocyclic and/or balancing selection may be valuable mechanisms for maintenance of body size variation.