X. Draye et Fa. Lints, GEOGRAPHIC VARIATIONS OF LIFE-HISTORY STRATEGIES IN DROSOPHILA-MELANOGASTER .2. ANALYSIS OF LABORATORY-ADAPTED POPULATIONS, Experimental gerontology, 30(5), 1995, pp. 517-532
Life history traits-hatchability, longevity, and egg production-of fiv
e wild-caught populations of Drosophila melanogaster were measured aft
er these populations had been reared in constant laboratory conditions
during a 4-year period. The results were analyzed together with those
that had been obtained with the same populations just after capture.
They are probably the first convincing results that reveal the existen
ce of genetic variability for some life history traits measured in the
laboratory. Besides, no significant phenotypic correlations, either p
ositive or negative, between early and late components of fitness were
found. Finally, the five populations showed different patterns of gen
etic correlation between early and late fitness traits, One of the pop
ulations showed a negative correlation, another showed a positive corr
elation, while the remaining three populations showed no correlation a
t all, This was equally observed at the within- and between-population
levels. That result suggests that both the antagonistic pleiotropy hy
pothesis proposed by Williams and the concordant pleiotropy hypothesis
suggested by Lints are not of general validity.