Temperature Tolerance and Acclimatization in Drosophila Subobscura

Temperature Tolerance and Acclimatization in Drosophila Subobscura

INTRODUCTION In the course of a study of hybrid vigour in Drosophila subobscura it was desired to investigate the effects of inbreeding and of outcrossing on a character which can undergo adaptive modification during development. Since it was known from the work of Mellanby (1939, 1954) that some insects can become acclimatized to changes in temperature, it was decided to study this capacity in...

Size and seasonal temperature in free-ranging Drosophila subobscura.

Body size of diverse ectotherms is inversely related to developmental temperature in the laboratory. We monitored seasonal variation in wing length of two populations (Oregon, Washington) of D. subobscura, which was introduced in the Pacific Northwest in the late 1970s. Wing length varied seasonally and was shortest in summer. In Washington, however, wing length was longest in spring, not winte...

Inbreeding and thermal adaptation in Drosophila subobscura.

Using a well-adapted Drosophila subobscura population (Avala, Serbia), a drastic experiment of inbreeding was carried out to assess whether the expected level of homozygosity could be reached or if other evolutionary forces affected the process. In general, no significant changes of inversion (or arrangement) frequencies were detected after 12 brother-sister mating generations. Furthermore, no ...

The Effects of Temperature and of Egg-laying on the Longevity of Drosophila Subobscura

Climate change and chromosomal inversions in Drosophila subobscura

In natural populations, the large changes in chromosomal structure occurring through chromosomal inversions show pronounced variations in frequency that often correspond to temporal and spatial climatic trends, which suggests that they may be employed to monitor the impact of global warming. Here we review and update the evidence on the association between chromosomal inversions and climate in ...