Quantitative genetic variation in Bicyclus anynana metapopulations

Parent-offspring regression was used to estimate heritabilities (h(2)) of e ight wing pattern characters plus five principal components of the butterfl y Bicyclus anynana. The experiment consisted of six metapopulations with fo ur subpopulations each with an effective subpopulation site Ne = 6 or 12, a nd additionally, one larger (Ne = 24) panmictic control population. Althoug h the differences in treatments resulted in substantially different inbreed ing coefficients at the ninth generation, there were no significantly diffe rences in estimates of h(2) among populations. The h(2) estimates were mode rately high (overall mean h(2) = 0.43), even for the smallest most inbred m etapopulation (mean h(males)(2) = 0.51, mean h(females)(2) = 0.35). We disc uss why no significant reduction in h(2) was detected in this analysis, whi le approximately similar sample sizes in molecular and fitness analyses wer e sufficient to detect severe inbreeding effects.