Abstract
Genetic polymorphism at about twenty enzyme loci in one mainland and in six differentially isolated island populations of Philaenus spumarius (L.) was studied by starch gel electrophoresis. The populations have different average degrees of heterozygosity, so that the most isolated population is the least polymorphic. The differences in heterozygosity seem to be correlated to the size of the population and the degree of isolation from other populations. With a single exception, the most common allele in each locus is the most common one everywhere. The results are compared with the differences observed in the color polymorphism of Philaenus island populations. The allele frequencies of enzyme loci are maintained by selection; the fact that the prevalent allele is the same in all populations may be due to selection and founder principle.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Avise, J. C. & R. K. Selander (1972). Evolutionary genetics of cave-dwelling fishes of the genus Astyanax. Evolution 26: 1–19.
Ayala, F. J., J. F. Powell & T. Dobzhansky (1971). Polymorphism in continental and island populations of Drosophila willistoni. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 68: 2480–2483.
Guerrucci-Henrion, M. A. (1966). Recherches sur les populations naturelles de Cepaea nemoralis en Bretagne. Archs Zool. exp. gén. 107: 369–417.
Halkka, O., L. Halkka, M. Raatikainen & R. Hovinen (1973). The genetic basis of balanced polymorphism in Philaenus (Homoptera). Hereditas (in press).
Halkka, O., M. Raatikainen, L. Halkka & R. Lallukka (1970). The founder principle, genetic drift and selection in isolated populations of Philaenus spumarius (L.) (Homoptera). Annls zool. fenn. 7: 221–238.
Halkka, O., M. Raatikainen, L. Halkka & J. Lokki (1971). Factors determining the size and composition of island populations of Philaenus spumarius (L.) (Hom.). Acta ent. fenn. 28: 83–100.
Harvey, P. H. (1971). Cepaea nemoralis in Brittany, Cornwall and Pembrokeshire. Heredity 26: 365–372.
Hela, I. (1953). A study of land upheaval at the Finnish coast. Fennia 76: 1–38.
Hickson, T. G. L. (1972). A possible case of genetic drift in colonies of the land snail Theba pisana. Heredity 29: 177–190.
Kimura, M. & J. F. Crow (1964). The number of alleles that can be maintained in a finite population. Genetics 49: 725–738.
Kimura, M. & T. Ohta (1969). The average number of generations until fixation of a mutant gene in a finite population. Genetics 61: 763–771.
Kimura, M. & T. Ohta (1971). Protein polymorphism as a phase of molecular evolution. Nature 229: 467–469.
Owen, D. F. & S.-A. Bengtson (1972). Polymorphism in the land snail Cepaea hortensis in Iceland. Oikos 23: 218–225.
Owen, D. F. & R. G. Wiegert (1962). Balanced polymorphism in the meadow spittlebug, Philaenus spumarius. Am. Nat. 96: 353–359.
Selander, R. K., M. H. Smith, S. Y. Yang, W. E. Johnson & J. B. Gentry (1971). Biochemical polymorphism and systematics in the genus Peromyscus. I. Variation in the oldfield mouse (Peromyscus polionotus). In: M. R. Wheeler (Ed.), Studies in Genetics VI, Univ. Texas Publs 7103: 49–90.
Shaw, C. R. & R. Prasad (1970). Starch gel electrophoresis of enzymes — a compilation of recipes. Biochem. Genet. 4: 297–320.
Webster, T. P., R. K. Selander & S. Y. Yang (1972). Genetic variability and similarity in the anolis lizards of Bimini. Evolution 26: 523–535.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Report no. 485 from the Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Saura, A., Halkka, O. & Lokki, J. Enzyme gene heterozygosity in small island populations of Philaenus spumarius (L.) (Homoptera). Genetica 44, 459–473 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00161318
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00161318