Abstract
Recent studies have shown that body size is a heritable trait phenotypically correlated with several fitness components in wild populations of the cactophilic fly Drosophila buzzatii. To obtain further information on size-related variation, heritabilities as well as genetic and phenotypic correlations among size-related traits of several body parts (head, thorax and wings) were estimated. The study was carried out on an Argentinean natural population in which size-related selection was previously detected. The genetic parameters were estimated using offspring-parent regressions (105 families) in the laboratory G2 generation of a sample of wild flies. The traits were also scored in Wild-Caught Flies (WCF). Laboratory-Reared Flies (LRF) were larger and less variable than WCF. Although heritability estimates were significant for all traits, heritabilities were higher for thorax-wing traits than for head traits. Phenotypic and genetic correlations were all positive. The highest genetic correlations were found between traits which are both functionally and developmentally related. Genetic and phenotypic correlations estimated in the lab show similar correlation patterns (r = 0.49; TP = 0.02, Mantel's test). However, phenotypic correlations were found to be typically larger in WCF than in LRF. The genetic correlation matrix estimated in the relatively homogeneous lab environment is not simply a constant multiplicative factor of the phenotypic correlation matrix estimated in WCF.
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Norry, F.M., Vilardi, J.C. & Hasson, E. Genetic and phenotypic correlations among size-related traits, and heritability variation between body parts in Drosophila buzzatii. Genetica 101, 131–139 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018360804439
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1018360804439