Abstract
Productivity genes-those affecting fertility or causing full sterility-were analyzed in a cage population of D. melanogaster. Homozygotes for female steriles showed significantly low viability but male sterile homozygotes did not. Positive correlations between male and female productivity were significant in homozygotes but not significant in heterozygotes. Female productivity was not significantly correlated with viability, either in homo- or in heterozygotes. Correlations between male productivity and viability were weakly positive in heterozygotes and significantly positive in homozygotes including or excluding steriles. This suggested that some male productivity genes might be the same genes as those controlling viability. Sterile heterozygotes were generally deleterious but significance was not detected, compared with non-sterile heterozygotes. Female productivity genes showed significant partial dominance in the heterozygotes, while there was no detectable dominance in heterozygotes for male productivity genes.
