A single gene causes an interspecific difference in pigmentation in Drosophila.

ABSTRACT: The genetic basis of species differences remains understudied. Studies in insects have contributed significantly to our understanding of morphological evolution. Pigmentation traits in particular have received a great deal of attention and several genes in the insect pigmentation pathway have been implicated in inter- and intraspecific differences. Nonetheless, much remains unknown about many of the genes in this pathway and their potential role in understudied taxa. Here we genetically analyze the puparium color difference between members of the virilis group of Drosophila. The puparium of Drosophila virilis is black, while those of D. americana, D. novamexicana, and D. lummei are brown. We used a series of backcross hybrid populations between D. americana and D. virilis to map the genomi

SUBMITTER: Ahmed-Braimah YH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4423374 | biostudies-literature | 2015 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature