Genetic and Environmental Determinants of Food Preference in Drosophila tripunctata
Jaenike J. 1985. Genetic and Environmental Determinants of Food Preference in Drosophila tripunctata. Evolution. 39(2):362-369
Mark-release-recapture experiments indicated that the fruit flies strongly preferred the food on which they had been raised. As mating often occurs at feeding times, there is a possibility that such preferences might lead to phenotype variance. Mark-release-recapture field experiments involving two isofemale strains of Drosophila tripunctata revealed that strain identity strongly and consistently affected the preferences of both males and females for mushrooms versus tomatoes. Females, but not males, showed an augmented preference for the type of food on which they had been kept prior to release. The behavior of F2 flies from reciprocal crosses between the two strains demonstrated that genetic variation for food preference is autosomal and largely additive. Because mating often occurs in the vicinity of food in the wild, positive assortative mating with respect to genes for food preference may lead to greater phenotypic variance in preference, which could increase the variety of food resources used by a population.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Jaenike, John
- Units
- GRSM
- Keywords
- Animal Studies, fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae), Great Smoky Mountains National Park NC TN, GRSM-01093, Insects (Insecta)