Do species converge during adaptation? A case study in Drosophila
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Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Methods for Staging Pupal Periods and Measurement of Wing Pigmentation of Drosophila guttifera
Published on: January 24, 2018
Carla Rego1, Michael R Rose, Margarida Matos
1Centro de Biologia Ambiental, Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciencias da Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal.
Abstract:
Adaptation to novel environments is a crucial theme in evolutionary biology, particularly because ex situ conservation forces populations to adapt to captivity. Here we analyze the evolution of life-history traits in two closely related species, Drosophila subobscura Collin and Drosophila madeirensis Monclus, during adaptation to the laboratory. Drosophila madeirensis, an endemic species from Madeira, is here shown to have less ability to adapt to the laboratory. Early fecundity was the only trait where this species showed a significant improvement with time. By comparison, D. subobscura improved in most traits, and its early fecundity increased faster than that of D. madeirensis. Our findings suggest that different species, even closely related ones, may adapt at different rates to the same environment.
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