Summary
A population-cage experiment carried out on Cepaea nemoralis in a valley bottom which experiences temperature inversions has demonstrated powerful non-visual selection. The brown morph survived significantly better than pink five-bandeds and yellow unbandeds which are naturally absent from the valley. It is suggested that climatic factors are responsible.
Article PDF
References
Bantock, C R, and Noble, K. 1973. Variation with altitude and habitat in Cepaea hortensis (Müll). Linn, Soc Zool, 53, 237–252.
Cain, A J. 1968. Studies in Cepaea V, Sand-dune populations of Cepaea nemoralis. Phil Trans R Soc B, 253, 499–517.
Cain, A J, and Currey, J D. 1963. Area effects in Cepaea. Phil Trans R Soc B, 246, 1–81.
Lamotte, M. 1959. Polymorphism of natural populations of Cepaea nemoralis. Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol, 24, 65–84.
Ratsey, S. 1974. The climate at and around Nettlecombe Court, Somerset. Field Studies, 3, 741–762.
Richardson, A M M. 1974. Differential climatic selection in natural populations of land snail Cepaea nemoralis. Nature, 247, 572–573.
Sokal, R R, and Rohlf, F J. 1969. Biometry. Freeman, San Francisco.
Van Emden, F I. 1954. Handbook for the identication of British insects X Diptera Cyclorrapha: Tachininidae and Calliphoridae. Royal Entomological Society of London.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bantock, C. Experimental evidence for non-visual selection in Cepaea nemoralis. Heredity 33, 409–412 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1038/hdy.1974.107
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/hdy.1974.107
This article is cited by
-
Distribution of Cepaea nemoralis according to climatic regions in Spain
Heredity (1987)
-
Natural selection in experimental populations of the landsnail Cepaea nemoralis (L.)
Heredity (1980)
-
Experimental evidence for selection on shell size in Cepaea Hortensis (M�ll.)
Genetica (1979)
-
Allozymes and area effects in Cepaea nemoralis on the western Berkshire Downs
Heredity (1976)