Abstract
Multiple choice experiments using 29 populations of Drosophila melanogaster from around the world were performed to measure any divergence in the mating system of this species. Courting flies were observed in a total of 691 mating experiments and 9,280 copulations. Only two of the 38 interpopulation crosses exhibited a significant divergence from random mating. However, neither of these represent a trend towards positive assortative mating. This suggests that there is considerable stability in the mate recognition system of D. melanogaster in spite of the substantial genetical and morphological differentiation which exists throughout the cosmopolitan distribution of this species.
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Henderson, N., Lambert, D. No significant deviation from random mating of worldwide populations of Drosophila melanogaster. Nature 300, 437–440 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1038/300437a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/300437a0
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