Genetic study on emigration behavior of Drosophila melanogaster in a natural population

Abstract

Genetic study on emigration behavior of Drosophila melanogaster in the Ishinomaki population was conducted with 140 2nd chromosome lines. Fourteen sets of 5 × 5 partial diallel cross experiments were made to examine the emigration activity of F₁ progeny. Emigration activity was scored using the method of Sakai et al. (1958). Additive genetic variance was 0.0377 ± 0.0069 and dominance variance 0.0076 ± 0.0032. The average degree of dominance of mildly deleterious genes for emigration activity in an equilibrium population was 0.069 ± 0.042. The estimated degree of dominance at a gene locus affecting emigration activity was 0.067, which revealed nearly complete dominance for the tendency of heterozygote flies to move from their original place to another. Average degree of dominance of lethal gene for emigration activity was 0.012.