Altitudinal patterns for longevity, fecundity and senescence in Drosophila buzzatii

We tested for variation in longevity, senescence rate and early fecundity of Drosophila buzzatii along an elevational transect in Argentina, using laboratory-reared flies in laboratory tests performed to avoid extrinsic mortality. At 25 degrees C, females from lowland populations lived longer and had a lower demographic rate of senescence than females from highland populations. Minimal instead of maximal temperature at the sites of origin of population best predicted this cline. A very different pattern was found at higher test temperature. At 29.5 degrees C, longevity of males increased with altitude of origin of population. No clinal trend was apparent for longevity of females at 29.5 degrees C. There was evidence for a trade-off between early fecundity and longevity at non-stressful temperature (25 degrees C) along the altitudinal gradient. This trait association is consistent with evolutionary theories of aging. Population-by-temperature and sex-by-temperature interactions indicate that senescence patterns are expressed in environment specific ways.