Abstract
Recent findings show that traits which influence speciation in the melanogaster subgroup of Drosophila can be determined by relatively few loci and/ or be sex-linked. Using backcrosses between D. simulans and D. mauritiana, we show that an acoustic mating signal which plays an important role in courtship (the interpulse interval of the 'lovesong') has a polygenic determination. There is no evidence of single genes of large effect, a disproportionate contribution of the sex chromosome or epistasis. The probability of finding single genes with a large effect on sexual isolation may vary with the mode of signalling involved.
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Acknowledgements
Acknowledgements We thank Prof. J. David and Dr C. P. Kyriacou for kindly supplying some of the stocks used. This research was funded by the SERC/BBSRC (studentship 93309713 to A.P.) and NERC (Fellowship GT5/92/TLS/16 to M.G.R.). The manuscript was improved following helpful comments from referees.
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R G Pugh, A., Ritchie, M. Polygenic control of a mating signal in Drosophila. Heredity 77, 378–382 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1038/hdy.1996.156
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/hdy.1996.156
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