Summary
Populations of Drosophila melanogaster containing the special chromosome, M-5, were subjected to artificial selection to canalise scutellar bristle phenotype at four bristles. At the end of the experiment allele frequencies at three enzyme loci were measured. In the selected population, these frequencies were found to have diverged from their starting values less than would have been predicted on the basis of random genetic drift. This was not found in control populations or in populations selected for low bristle number.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
References
Frankham, R. 1973. Instant mashed potato as a fly food. Drosophila Information Service, 50, 199.
Fraser, A, and Burnell, D. 1970. Computer Models in Genetics. McGraw-Hill, New York.
Jones, J S, and Yamazaki, T. 1974. Genetic background and fitness of allozymes. Genetics, 78, 1185–1189.
Lewontin, R C. 1964. The interaction of selection and linkage II. Optimum models. Genetics, 50, 757–782.
Lewontin, R C. 1974. The Genetic Basis of Evolutionary Change. Columbia University Press.
Rendel, J M. 1976. Is there a gene regulating the scute locus on the third chromosome of Drosophila melanogaster?. Genetics, 83, 573–581.
Rendel, J M, and Sheldon, B L. 1960. Selection for canalization of scute phenotype in Drosophila melanogaster. Aust J Biol Set, 13, 36–47.
Robertson, A. 1961. Inbreeding in artificial selection programmes. Genet Res, 2, 189–194.
Yamazaki, T. 1971. Measurement of fitness at the esterase-5 locus of Drosophila pseudoobscura. Genetics, 67, 579–603.
Yarbrough, K, and Kojima, K. 1967. The mode of selection at the polymorphic esterase-6 locus in Drosophila melanogaster. Genetics, 57, 677–686.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Semeonoff, R. Can polymorphism be maintained by selection favouring an intermediate optimum phenotype?. Heredity 39, 373–381 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1038/hdy.1977.79
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/hdy.1977.79