The effect of lead on the developmental stability of Drosophila subobscura through selection in laboratory conditions

Abstract

Fluctuating asymmetry (FA), the increased variation of bilateral symmetry in a sample of individuals, can indicate disturbance in developmental stability caused by environmental and/or genomic stress. This developmental instability was analyzed in Drosophila subobscura maintained for seven generations on two different concentrations of lead in laboratory conditions. The FA4 index showed that the genotypes reared on the higher lead concentration were in developmental homeostasis, except for males in the F7 generation, for both wing size parameters. The results show that different degrees of lead pollution cause different responses to selection of the exposed population in laboratory conditions.

Keywords

• Developmental instability
• fluctuating asymmetry
• lead pollution
• Drosophila