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Summary: Condition dependence and the nature of genetic variation for male
sex comb bristle number in Drosophila melanogaster
Abha Ahuja · Scott De Vito · Rama S. Singh
Received: 5 August 2010 / Accepted: 23 March 2011 / Published online: 5 April 2011
Ó Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011
Abstract Genetic architecture of variation underlying
male sex comb bristle number, a rapidly evolving sec-
ondary sexual character of Drosophila, was examined.
First, in order to test for condition dependence, diet was
manipulated in a set of ten Drosophila melanogaster full-
sib families. We confirmed heightened condition dependent
expression of sex comb bristle number and its female
homologue (distal transverse row bristles) as compared to
non-sex sternopleural bristles. Significant genotype by
environment effects were detected for the sex traits indi-
cating a genetic basis for condition dependence. Next we
measured sex comb bristle number and sternopleural bristle
number, as well as residual mass, a commonly used con-
dition index, in a set of thirty half-sib families. Sire effect
was not significant for sex comb and sternopleural bristle
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