Article Abstract:
Broad-sense heritability of developmental instability and tibia fluctuating asymmetry (FA) have been studied in a full-sib breeding experiment in the winter moth (Operophtera brumata L.)(Lepidoptera, Geometridae). Effects of common environment were studied as were those of genetic background on body size and tibia FA, measured for the three pairs of legs. The low heritability of FA has been thought by some to be the result of a strong relationship between fitness and FA. Thus the relationship between body size and FA was studied since body size is a reliable indicator of larval feeding success and predicts fitness. In the study individual asymmetry did not correlate with fitness, as estimated by body size.
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Article Abstract:
Repeated measurements have been made of time-to-courtship and mating speed in the same individuals among Drosophila melanogaster, fruit flies. Heritabilities were intermediate and significant when behavior of each individual was averaged for several events. Estimates for mating behaviors that relate to the fitness of organisms are much higher than was found through single-event observations. In the past empirical studies have indicated that heritable variation for courtship behavior in Drosophila is usually not measurable. Mating speed, on the other hand, was found to have low heritability.
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Article Abstract:
Results show variable degree of asymmetry in several traits in whitefish ecotypes studied but no significant fluctuating asymmetry in different crosses. Data further indicate that there is no experimental evidence to relate genetic stress of embryonic stage to those at late developmental stage.
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