The Population History of Drosophila Melanogaster and the Evolution of Ethanol Tolerance and Body Size, Adaptive Traits

The Population History of Drosophila Melanogaster and the Evolution of Ethanol Tolerance and Body Size, Adaptive Traits PDF Author: Quentin D. Sprengelmeyer
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 139

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Book Description
Drosophila melanogaster is a great model to use in untangling the evolutionary process of a novel trait. There are abundant molecular techniques, extensive genomic data, they have short generation time, and stocks can be maintained in the lab with relative ease. This dissertation uses these advantages to investigate the population history of D. melanogaster and the genetic basis of adaptive traits. Frist, I create a robust demographic model of D. melanogaster expansion throughout Africa and into Europe. Estimates from this analysis has this expansion throughout Africa starting ~13,000 years ago and crossing the Sahara relatively soon after and into Europe ~1,800 years ago. Second, I explore the genetic architecture of ethanol resistance found in multiple populations of D. melanogaster. Findings from this study include elevated ethanol resistance in three different populations and that ethanol and cold resistance may have a partially shared genetic basis. We also find that the genetic architecture of ethanol resistance evolution differs substantially not only between our three resistant populations, but also between two crosses involving the same European population. Finally, I investigate the evolution of two adaptive traits, thorax and wing size, found in a highland Ethiopia population. The results from this study show that genes with moderate to large and small effect contribute to both phenotypes and standing variation may have helped this population adapt to the novel habitat. We have also found there to variability in the genetic architecture within this population.

The Population History of Drosophila Melanogaster and the Evolution of Ethanol Tolerance and Body Size, Adaptive Traits

The Population History of Drosophila Melanogaster and the Evolution of Ethanol Tolerance and Body Size, Adaptive Traits PDF Author: Quentin D. Sprengelmeyer
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 139

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Book Description
Drosophila melanogaster is a great model to use in untangling the evolutionary process of a novel trait. There are abundant molecular techniques, extensive genomic data, they have short generation time, and stocks can be maintained in the lab with relative ease. This dissertation uses these advantages to investigate the population history of D. melanogaster and the genetic basis of adaptive traits. Frist, I create a robust demographic model of D. melanogaster expansion throughout Africa and into Europe. Estimates from this analysis has this expansion throughout Africa starting ~13,000 years ago and crossing the Sahara relatively soon after and into Europe ~1,800 years ago. Second, I explore the genetic architecture of ethanol resistance found in multiple populations of D. melanogaster. Findings from this study include elevated ethanol resistance in three different populations and that ethanol and cold resistance may have a partially shared genetic basis. We also find that the genetic architecture of ethanol resistance evolution differs substantially not only between our three resistant populations, but also between two crosses involving the same European population. Finally, I investigate the evolution of two adaptive traits, thorax and wing size, found in a highland Ethiopia population. The results from this study show that genes with moderate to large and small effect contribute to both phenotypes and standing variation may have helped this population adapt to the novel habitat. We have also found there to variability in the genetic architecture within this population.

Some Like it Hot...

Some Like it Hot... PDF Author: Zoltán Bochdanovits
Publisher:
ISBN: 9789039334324
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 164

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Inference of Adaptive Evolution and Demographic History from Molecular Variation in Drosophila Melanogaster

Inference of Adaptive Evolution and Demographic History from Molecular Variation in Drosophila Melanogaster PDF Author: John Eric Pool
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 304

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Evolution and Selection of Quantitative Traits

Evolution and Selection of Quantitative Traits PDF Author: Bruce Walsh
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0192566644
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 1504

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Book Description
Quantitative traits-be they morphological or physiological characters, aspects of behavior, or genome-level features such as the amount of RNA or protein expression for a specific gene-usually show considerable variation within and among populations. Quantitative genetics, also referred to as the genetics of complex traits, is the study of such characters and is based on mathematical models of evolution in which many genes influence the trait and in which non-genetic factors may also be important. Evolution and Selection of Quantitative Traits presents a holistic treatment of the subject, showing the interplay between theory and data with extensive discussions on statistical issues relating to the estimation of the biologically relevant parameters for these models. Quantitative genetics is viewed as the bridge between complex mathematical models of trait evolution and real-world data, and the authors have clearly framed their treatment as such. This is the second volume in a planned trilogy that summarizes the modern field of quantitative genetics, informed by empirical observations from wide-ranging fields (agriculture, evolution, ecology, and human biology) as well as population genetics, statistical theory, mathematical modeling, genetics, and genomics. Whilst volume 1 (1998) dealt with the genetics of such traits, the main focus of volume 2 is on their evolution, with a special emphasis on detecting selection (ranging from the use of genomic and historical data through to ecological field data) and examining its consequences.

Adaptation in Experimentally-evolved Populations of Drosophila Melanogaster

Adaptation in Experimentally-evolved Populations of Drosophila Melanogaster PDF Author: Molly Kathleen Burke
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781124346472
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 138

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Book Description
Experimental evolution is a powerful method in the study of adaptation, at the level of both phenotype and genotype. The dissertation research used a long-established system of experimentally-evolved populations of Drosophila melanogaster to answer questions about the nature of differentiation between populations selected for various life-history characters. The first chapter of this dissertation introduces the experimental evolution strategy, and its history with of Drosophila. It also provides an overview of the laboratory system featured in subsequent chapters. The second chapter of the dissertation examines the evolutionary trajectory of a candidate gene, of hsp26, over ~ 30 generations of laboratory natural selection for accelerated development. Clear evidence was found suggesting that hsp26 expression decreases in response to laboratory selection for accelerated development, but ultimately is lowest in lines selected for intermediate development time. These results support previous studies that suggest that this gene has pleiotropic effects, and its evolution is correlated with both postponed reproduction and accelerated development. The third chapter of the dissertation provides whole-genome resequencing data from Drosophila populations that have undergone 600 generations of laboratory selection for accelerated development. Several dozen genomic regions showed strong allele-frequency differentiation in response to selection, but did not show evidence of the fixation of beneficial alleles. These results differ from those of similar studies in asexual populations, and demonstrate the utility of genomic data from experimentally evolved, sexually reproducing populations. The fourth chapter of the dissertation examines immune response in Drosophila populations selected for postponed reproduction. In Drosophila, this phenotype is complex and potentially correlated with many other life-history characters. Immune response was assayed in experimental and control populations by manually injecting large numbers of flies with the entomopathogen Serratia marcescens. The longer-lived populations showed an improved ability to survive and clear bacterial infection, across a wide range of ages. These results suggest that improved immune function is positively correlated with later-life fitness-components.

The Evolution and Genetics of Thermal Traits in Drosophila Melanogaster

The Evolution and Genetics of Thermal Traits in Drosophila Melanogaster PDF Author: Lindsey Caroline Fallis
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
Temperature is a critical environmental parameter and thermal variation has significant effects on local adaptation and species distributions in nature. This is especially true for organisms that are isothermal with their environment. Variation in temperature imposes stress and directly influences physiology, behavior, and fitness. Thus, to thrive across a range of thermal environments populations must contain sufficient genetic variation, the capacity to respond plastically, or some combination of both genetic and plastic responses. In this work I first quantified patterns of phenotypic and genetic variation in nature and then dissected the genetic basis of variation in thermal traits. In the first aim I used natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster collected from a latitudinal transect in Argentina to investigate variation in heat stress resistance and cold plasticity within and among populations. I found heat stress resistance was highly variable within populations, but was strongly associated with the monthly maximum average temperature of each site. For cold plasticity I was able to demonstrate significant variation in plasticity within and among populations, however the among population variation was best explained by the altitude of each site. I hypothesized that this was caused by a difference in temperature fluctuations at high altitude sites relative to low altitude sites. To evaluate this hypothesis I paired our study with existing laboratory data that demonstrated significant fitness differences between high and low plasticity (and altitude) sites when these populations were reared in variable thermal environments. Thus, cold plasticity is an adaptive response to environmental variation. The final project focused on understanding the genetic basis of thermal variation. I fine-mapped a single co-localized heat and cold tolerance QTL via deficiency and mutant complementation mapping to identify four novel thermal candidate genes. There was no overlap of the deficiencies or genes associated with cold or heat stress resistance. Sequence analysis of each gene identified the polymorphisms that differentiate the lines. To test for independent associations between these polymorphisms and variation in nature the Drosophila Genome Reference Panel was used to confirm associations between allelic variation and cold tolerance in nature.

Drosophila melanogaster, Drosophila simulans: So Similar, So Different

Drosophila melanogaster, Drosophila simulans: So Similar, So Different PDF Author: Pierre Capy
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 940070965X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 292

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Book Description
This book brings together most of the information available concerning two species that diverged 2-3 million years ago. The objective was to try to understand why two sibling species so similar in several characteristics can be so different in others. To this end, it was crucial to confront all data from their ecology and biogeography with their behavior and DNA polymorphism. Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila simulans are among the two sibling species for which a large set of data is available. In this book, ecologists, physiologists, geneticists, behaviorists share their data on the two sibling species, and several scenarios of evolution are put forward to explain their similarities and divergences. This is the first collection of essays of its kind. It is not the final point of the analyses of these two species since several areas remain obscure. However, the recent publication of the complete genome of D. melanogaster opens new fields for research. This will probably help us explain why D. melanogaster and D. simulans are sibling species but false friends.

Development and Neurobiology of Drosophila

Development and Neurobiology of Drosophila PDF Author: O. Siddiqi
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1468479687
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 487

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Book Description
There is no multicellular animal whose genetics is so well understood as Drosophila melanogaster. An increasing number of biologists have, therefore, turned to the fruitfly in pursuit of such diverse areas as the molecular biology of eukaryotic cells, development and neurobiology. Indeed there are signs that Dro sophila may soon become the most central organism in biqlogy for genetic analysis of complex problems. The papers in this collection were presented at a conference on Development and Behavior of Drosophila held at the Tata Insti tute of Fundamental Research from 19th to 22nd December, 1979. The volume reflects the commonly shared belief of the participants that Drosophila has as much to contribute to biology in the future as it has in the past. We hope it will be of interest not merely to Dro sophilists but to all biologists. We thank Chetan Premani, Anil Gupta, K.S. Krishnan, Veronica Rodrigues, Hemant Chikermane and K. Vijay Raghavan for help with recording and transcription of the proceedings and Vrinda Nabar and K.V. Hareesh for editorial assistance. We thank Samuel Richman, Thomas Schmidt-Glenewinkel and T.R. Venkatesh for their valuable assistance in proofreading the manuscripts, and we also thank Patricia Rank for her excellent effort in the preparation of the final manuscripts. The conference was supported by a grant from Sir Dorabji Tata Trust.

Information Resources on the Care and Use of Insects

Information Resources on the Care and Use of Insects PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Animal welfare
Languages : en
Pages : 352

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Carrion Ecology, Evolution, and Their Applications

Carrion Ecology, Evolution, and Their Applications PDF Author: M. Eric Benbow
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1466575476
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 596

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Book Description
Shortlisted for the 2018 TWS Wildlife Publication Awards in the edited book categoryDecomposition and recycling of vertebrate remains have been understudied, hampered largely due to these processes being aesthetically challenging (e.g., smell and sight). Technological innovations have provided the means to explore new and historically understo