Ejk. Noach et al., LOCOMOTOR-ACTIVITY IN DROSOPHILA-MELANOGASTER SELECTED FOR DIFFERENT WING LENGTHS, Netherlands journal of zoology, 48(1), 1998, pp. 27-37
Locomotor activity and its plasticity were investigated in Drosophila
melanogaster lines selected for Long and for Short wings at two differ
ent temperatures. Flies were tested in a locometer at two different Ac
tivity temperatures. Locomotor activity, a physiological character, sh
owed phenotypic plasticity: locomotor activity scores (l.a.s.) were hi
gher at 25 degrees C than at 20 degrees C in all lines. Although at ea
ch selection temperature the lines differed significantly in the morph
ological character wing length, l.a.s.'s were similar in lines with Lo
ng and with Short wings per selection temperature. However, a signific
ant difference between selected and unselected control - lines was fou
nd. At each selection temperature, plasticity of l.a.s.'s in all lines
was similar, except for the Short line selected at 20 degrees C, whic
h showed a higher plasticity. In contrast to earlier experiments no si
gnificant correlations between l.a.s. and fresh body weight, and betwe
en l.a.s. and wing length were found within each line.