Drosophila subobscura

Drosophila subobscura
Five images of a Drosophila subobscura (male) on a rotting squash
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Diptera
Family:
Drosophilidae
Genus:
Drosophila
Subgenus:
Sophophora
Species group:
obscura
Species subgroup:
subobscura
Species:
D. subobscura
Binomial name
Drosophila subobscura
Collin, 1936

Drosophila subobscura is a species of fruit fly in the family Drosophilidae.

It was originally found around the Mediterranean, but it has spread to most of Europe and the Near East. It has been introduced into the west coasts of Canada, the United States, and Chile. [1] This species is in the Sophophora subgenus.[2]

Study organism for evolutionary biology

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In 1933, A.H. Sturtevant captured a species of Drosophila in England. It was a member of Drosophila subobscura.

D. subobscura, with others in its species group, is a model organism for evolutionary-biological studies. Its genetics and ecology have been studied for over fifty years.[3][4][5][6][7][8]

They have served as favourable models ever since Dobzhansky and his colleagues published their influential works in the 1930s and 40s.

Their use as a regular laboratory fly was promoted by J.B.S. Haldane and John Maynard Smith at University College London over a period of about 30 years.[9] There it was used for research into population genetics, and for teaching genetics. For many years this species was the European "rival" to the D. pseudoobscura favoured by the group in California led by Dobzhansky.

References

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  1. ↑ Ayala, Francisco J.; Serra, Luis; Prevosti, Antonio (1989). "A grand experiment in evolution: The Drosophila subobscura colonization of the Americas". Genome. 31: 246–255. doi:10.1139/g89-042. S2CID 55247939.
  2. ↑ Powell JR. 1997. Progress and prospects in evolutionary biology: the Drosophila model. Oxford University Press.
  3. ↑ Krimbas C.B. & Loukas M. 1980. Inversion polymorphism of Drosophila subobscura. Evol. Biol, 12, p163-234.
  4. ↑ Santos, M.; Iriarte, P. F.; Céspedes, W.; Balanyà, J.; Fontdevila, A.; Serra, L. (2004). "Santos M, Iriarte PF, Céspedes W, Balanyà J, Fontdevila A, Serra L. Swift laboratory thermal evolution of wing shape (but not size) in Drosophila subobscura and its relationship with chromosomal inversion polymorphism. Evol Biol. 2004. 17:841–55". Journal of Evolutionary Biology. 17 (4): 841–55. doi:10.1111/j.1420-9101.2004.00721.x. PMID 15271084. S2CID 16488003.
  5. ↑ Matos, Margarida; Simões, Pedro; Duarte, Ana; Rego, Carla; Avelar, Teresa; Rose, Michael R. (2004). "Convergence to a novel environment: comparative method versus experimental evolution. Evolution. 2004;58:1503–10". Evolution. 58 (7): 1503–1510. JSTOR 3449375.
  6. ↑ Simões, P.; Santos, J.; Fragata, I.; Mueller, L. D.; Rose, M. R.; Matos, M. (2008). "Simões P, Santos J, Fragata I, Mueller LD, Rose MR, Matos M. How repeatable is adaptive evolution? The role of geographical origin and founder effects in laboratory adaptation. ;62:1817–29". Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution. 62 (8): 1817–29. doi:10.1111/j.1558-5646.2008.00423.x. PMID 18489721. S2CID 11927366.
  7. ↑ Zivanovic, G.; Mestres, F. (2011). "Zivanovic G, Mestres F.2011. Changes in chromosomal polymorphism and global warming: The case of Drosophila subobscura from Apatin (Serbia) Genet Mol Biol. 2011;34:489–95". Genetics and Molecular Biology. 34 (3): 489–495. doi:10.1590/S1415-47572011000300020. PMC 3168192. PMID 21931524.
  8. ↑ Dolgova, O.; Rego, C.; Calabria, G.; Balanyà, J.; Pascual, M.; Rezende, E. L.; Santos, M. (2010). "Dolgova O, Rego C, Calabria G, Balanyà J, Pascual M, Rezende EL, et al. Genetic constraints for thermal coadaptation in Drosophila subobscura. BMC Evol Biol. 2010;10:363". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 10: 363. doi:10.1186/1471-2148-10-363. PMC 3003277. PMID 21108788.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link)
  9. ↑ John Maynard Smith obituary. Genetics 2004, #168(3), 1105–1109.