Sex Dimorphism and Canalization in Drosophila Melanogaster

Abstract

Selection to reduce the sex dimorphism of scutellar bristle number associated with the gene scute in D. melanogaster was successful. Although probit analysis indicated that an increase in canalization had been achieved, the selection line was found to be still quite sensitive to temperature. The selection response was found to have no correlated effect in three other mutant genotypes nor in scute+ flies but a slight effect was noted with the gene Scutoid.