A single basis for developmental buffering of Drosophila wing shape.

ABSTRACT: The nature of developmental buffering processes has been debated extensively, based on both theoretical reasoning and empirical studies. In particular, controversy has focused on the question of whether distinct processes are responsible for canalization, the buffering against environmental or genetic variation, and for developmental stability, the buffering against random variation intrinsic in developmental processes. Here, we address this question for the size and shape of Drosophila melanogaster wings in an experimental design with extensively replicated and fully controlled genotypes. The amounts of variation among individuals and of fluctuating asymmetry differ markedly among genotypes, demonstrating a clear genetic basis for size and shape variability. For wing shape, there is a hig

SUBMITTER: Breuker CJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1762351 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature