Temporal changes of chromosomal polymorphism in natural populations of Drosophila subobscura

Abstract

The behaviour of the chromosomal polymorphism of D. subobscura was analyzed in relation to temporal changes, daily, seasonal and annual. Firstly, chromosome analyses were carried out over a year in a natural population. Samples were taken at monthly intervals in Tibidabo, a locality close to Barcelona. In all the months except January, the number of individuals captured was enough to carry out a chromosome analysis of that population. The A, E and O chromosomes showed a great uniformity in the frequencies of gene arrangement over the year. However, significant changes occur in the frequencies of J and U chromosomes. The J₁ and U₁₊₂₊₈ arrangements showed a similar tendency, with two maxima, in June and February, and a minimum in September. These changes seem to be unrelated to the cyclical climatic changes. A chromosome analysis of the subsamples captured during the day, in the May sample, was done. In no case was the change in chromosome frequencies statistically significant. The behaviour of the U_st arrangement must be noted, the frequency of which decreased through the day. Finally, the data for the Tibidabo population were compared with samples captured in nearby localities over a period of 21 years. Significant differences were found in the frequencies of all the chromosomes, with the exception of J. The most differentiated population was the last sampled, from 1982. In this population the st arrangements tended to decrease in the A, E and O chromosomes and A₂, E_1+2+9+12 and O₃₊₄₊₇ increase, respectively.