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Genetic analysis of larval feeding behaviour in Drosophila melanogaster

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 April 2009

David Sewell ,
Barrie Burnet  and
Kevin Connolly
David Sewell
Affiliation:
Departments of Genetics and Psychology, University of Sheffield, England
Barrie Burnet
Affiliation:
Departments of Genetics and Psychology, University of Sheffield, England
Kevin Connolly
Affiliation:
Departments of Genetics and Psychology, University of Sheffield, England
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Summary

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The larvae of Drosophila melanogaster feed continuously during their period of development. The rate of feeding activity, measured as the number of cephalopharyngeal retractions per minute, varies with the physiological age of the larva. Feeding rate responded readily to directional selection to give rise to non-overlapping populations with fast and slow feeding larvae, respectively. Realized heritabilities for the character from different selected lines varied between 11 and 21%. Crosses between the selected populations show significant dominance for fast feeding rate and appreciable non-allelic gene interaction. Larvae of the slow feeding populations showed a correlated reduction in locomotor activity but fast feeding larvae do not move about significantly faster than the unselected controls. Asymmetry of the correlated response to selection, it is argued, is due to selection in the slow feeding populations of alleles with a secondary effect in both behaviours.

Type
Research Article
Information
Genetics Research , Volume 24 , Issue 2 , October 1974 , pp. 163 - 173
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1974

References

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