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Natural Selection and the Reinforcement of Mate Recognition
- Source :
- Science. October 20, 2000, Vol. 290 Issue 5491, 519
- Publication Year :
- 2000
-
Abstract
- Natural selection on mate recognition may often contribute to speciation, resulting in reproductive character displacement. Field populations of Drosophila serrata display reproductive character displacement in cuticular hydrocarbons when sympatric with Drosophila birchii. We exposed field sympatric and allopatric populations of D. serrata to experimental sympatry with D. birchii for nine generations. Cuticular hydrocarbons of field allopatric D. serrata populations evolved to resemble the field sympatric populations, whereas field sympatric D. serrata populations remained unchanged. Our experiment indicates that natural selection on mate recognition resulted in the field pattern of reproductive character displacement.<br />A direct role for natural selection in the generation of reproductive isolation during speciation is highly controversial (1-6). Natural selection may rapidly increase divergence in mate recognition between sympatric populations [...]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00368075
- Volume :
- 290
- Issue :
- 5491
- Database :
- Gale General OneFile
- Journal :
- Science
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- edsgcl.66888385