Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Background and Environment Affect Phenotype02:27

Background and Environment Affect Phenotype

7.9K
Although the genetic makeup of an organism plays a major role in determining the phenotype, there are also several environmental factors, such as temperature, oxygen availability, presence of mutagens, that can alter an organism’s 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...
7.9K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Remembrance of things past: Towards a life-course biology of aging.

PLoS biology·2026
Same author

Evolutionary genetics of ageing.

Nature reviews. Genetics·2026
Same author

Dietary restriction in aging and longevity.

Nature aging·2026
Same author

Past, present and future perspectives on the science of aging.

Nature aging·2026
Same author

Loss of Pol III repressor Maf1 in neurons promotes longevity by preventing the age-related decline in 5S rRNA and translation.

PLoS biology·2025
Same author

Enhancing autophagy by redox regulation extends lifespan in Drosophila.

Nature communications·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 1, 2026

Experimental Manipulation of Body Size to Estimate Morphological Scaling Relationships in Drosophila
06:00

Experimental Manipulation of Body Size to Estimate Morphological Scaling Relationships in Drosophila

Published on: October 1, 2011

14.5K

THERMAL EVOLUTION OF EGG SIZE IN DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER.

Ricardo B R Azevedo1, Vernon French2, Linda Partridge1

  • 1Department of Biology, University College London, Galton Laboratory, Wolfson House, 4 Stephenson Way, London, NW1 2HE.

Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution
|June 1, 2017
PubMed
Summary

Fruit fly egg size varies with latitude and temperature. Higher latitude and cooler temperature-evolved fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) produce larger eggs, indicating temperature

Keywords:
Egg volumefecunditygenotype-environment interactionlatitudinal clineovariole numberphenotypic plasticitytemperaturethermal selection

More Related Videos

High Throughput Assay to Examine Egg-Laying Preferences of Individual Drosophila melanogaster
03:58

High Throughput Assay to Examine Egg-Laying Preferences of Individual Drosophila melanogaster

Published on: March 24, 2016

8.5K
A Temperature Gradient Assay to Determine Thermal Preferences of Drosophila Larvae
08:59

A Temperature Gradient Assay to Determine Thermal Preferences of Drosophila Larvae

Published on: June 25, 2018

8.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 1, 2026

Experimental Manipulation of Body Size to Estimate Morphological Scaling Relationships in Drosophila
06:00

Experimental Manipulation of Body Size to Estimate Morphological Scaling Relationships in Drosophila

Published on: October 1, 2011

14.5K
High Throughput Assay to Examine Egg-Laying Preferences of Individual Drosophila melanogaster
03:58

High Throughput Assay to Examine Egg-Laying Preferences of Individual Drosophila melanogaster

Published on: March 24, 2016

8.5K
A Temperature Gradient Assay to Determine Thermal Preferences of Drosophila Larvae
08:59

A Temperature Gradient Assay to Determine Thermal Preferences of Drosophila Larvae

Published on: June 25, 2018

8.2K

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Environmental Science
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Egg size is a crucial life-history trait influenced by environmental factors.
  • Latitudinal clines in phenotypic traits suggest adaptation to varying climates.
  • Temperature is a significant environmental factor impacting insect physiology and development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the influence of latitude and laboratory-evolved temperature on egg size in Drosophila melanogaster.
  • To determine if temperature acts as a selective agent driving latitudinal variation in egg size.
  • To explore the relationship between adult body size and egg size evolution in response to temperature.

Main Methods:

  • Collected Drosophila melanogaster populations from latitudinal gradients across different continents.
  • Maintained and evolved fly populations in the laboratory at distinct constant temperatures (16.5°C, 25°C, 29°C).
  • Measured egg size under standardized and experimental temperature conditions, comparing populations with different thermal histories.

Main Results:

  • Populations from higher latitudes (Australia, South America) exhibited larger egg sizes at a standard temperature.
  • Laboratory populations evolved at cooler temperatures (16.5°C) produced larger eggs than those evolved at warmer temperatures (25°C, 29°C).
  • Experimental exposure to cooler temperatures (16.5°C) resulted in larger egg sizes, with no significant genotype-environment interaction observed.

Conclusions:

  • Temperature is a likely selective pressure contributing to latitudinal variation in Drosophila melanogaster egg size.
  • Egg size evolution in response to temperature is not solely explained by changes in adult body size.
  • Further research is needed to identify direct targets of thermal selection and correlated responses in life-history traits.