Phenotypic correlations among fitness and its components in a population of the housefly
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 23, 2026

Quantifying Fitness Costs in Transgenic Aedes aegypti Mosquitoes
Published on: September 15, 2023
1Department of Biology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA. dreed@olemiss.edu
Abstract:
An individual's or a population's fitness is the result of a large number of interacting life history traits and the environment. Little information is available on the phenotypic correlations among fitness components and fitness itself, especially outside of Drosophila melanogaster. We also lack detailed information on trade-offs among life history traits. Here we present the relationship between adult progeny production and eight components of fitness, as well as some observed trade-offs between life history traits in the housefly (Musca domestica). We briefly discuss some of the ramifications of these relationships.
Related Concept Videos
Background and Environment Affect Phenotype
An example of how genetic background affects phenotype can be seen in horses. The Extension gene in horses is responsible for their coat color. A wild-type gene (EE) produces black pigment in the coat, while a mutant gene (ee) produces red pigment. A...
Frequency-dependent Selection
Hardy-Weinberg Principle
Inclusive Fitness