THE HERITABILITY OF ONTOGENIC RATE AND TH E RATE OF EVOLUTION OF THE SENSITIVITY TO THE DENSITY EFFECT IN RANA-TEMPORARIA

Two populations of Rana tempraria, one from the central part of the sp ecies range (Moscow district) and another from the area close to the n orthern limit bf its distribution (Solovets Istlands, the White Sea) w ere studied. The sensitivity to high population density of tadpoles fr om the Solovets population was lower than in the Moscow population. Th e tadpoles from the latter population were found to have higher densit y-dependent mortality and lower growth and development rates. At the s ame time, the heritability of these traits in both populations at vari ous densities was insignificant. The conclusion is drawn, that the evo lution of the resistance to high density could be based on gene-copyin g according to Schmalhausen-Waddington scheme. The Solovets population originated either 10 000 years ago (3 000 generations), when the last glaciation on the islands was over, or 5000 years ago (1500 generatio ns), after the end of the last transgression of the White Sea. Both da tes demonstrate, that the rate of evolutionary changes based on gene-c opying is comparable to that of the change of characters under strict genetic control.