Abstract
FROM an analysis of non-reciprocal fertility in Aëdes scutellaris, Smith-White and Woodhill1 drew the conclusion that this phenomenon must be due either to anomalous meiosis in the course of oogenesis, with polarized segregation of bivalents and the elimination of part of the paternal genom, or to cytoplasmic factors acting independently of the nucleus. They state that “There is no critical evidence enabling a choice between the two types of hypothesis”. Crossing relations in Aëdes scutellaris, as studied by Smith-White and Woodhill, are essentially similar to the more complex relations encountered in the Culex pipiens complex2. Some geographically representative populations are fully fertile in both directions, whereas others, although morphologically indistinguishable, are almost completely isolated by inter sterility. In this case the limitations of a purely morphological species concept are obvious. A third group of populations is interfertile with the others in one direction only. Parthenogenesis, with pseudogamy, predetermination and multiple incompatibility genes can be excluded as causative mechanisms. These cases of strictly maternal inheritance can be explained only by the two hypotheses mentioned by Smith-White and Woodhill.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Smith-White, S., and Woodhill, A. R., Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., 79, 163 (1954).
Laven, H., Evolution, 5, 370 (1951). Z. ind. Abst. Vererb., 85, 118 (1953).
Laven, H., Proc. Roy. Ent. Soc. Lond. (in the press).
Gilchrist, B. M., and Haldane, J. B. S., Hereditas, Lund, 33, 175 (1947).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
LAVEN, H. Cytoplasmic Inheritance in Culex . Nature 177, 141–142 (1956). https://doi.org/10.1038/177141a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/177141a0
This article is cited by
-
The cellular lives of Wolbachia
Nature Reviews Microbiology (2023)
-
Wolbachia Dynamics in Mosquitoes with Incomplete CI and Imperfect Maternal Transmission by a DDE System
Bulletin of Mathematical Biology (2022)
-
Mosquito Control Based on Pesticides and Endosymbiotic Bacterium Wolbachia
Bulletin of Mathematical Biology (2021)
-
Dual effects of insect fecundity overdispersion on the Wolbachia establishment and the implications for epidemic biocontrol
Journal of Pest Science (2021)
-
10.1007/BF00369142
CrossRef Listing of Deleted DOIs (2011)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.