RESTRICTION MAP POLYMORPHISM IN THE FORKED AND VERMILION REGIONS OF DROSOPHILA-MELANOGASTER

Restriction map polymorphism at two X linked loci, forked and vermilio n of Drosophila melanogaster was studied in three natural populations. The estimates of nucleotide variation were theta = 0.003 and pi = 0.0 02 for the forked region and theta = 0.004 and pi = 0.002 for the verm ilion region. Three insertions (> 500 bp) were observed at each locus. Typical of other regions of this species each of these large insertio ns was unique in the sample. Non-random association among polymorphism s was common at the vermilion locus, while the forked locus was not po lymorphic enough to test linkage disequilibrium. The amounts of restri ction site and size variation in the vermilion and forked were within the range observed for other loci of D. melanogaster.