Differential response to selection on the two sexes in Drosophila melanogaster

Artificial selection for short wing was performed in two Drosophila melanogaster populations with partially different gene pools: the C populations were derived from a Canton stock while the H lines were derived from a cross between Canton and a b, cn, vg strain. It is shown that in both populations selection on females (CF, HF) was more effective than selection on males (CM, HM). This difference cannot be explained in terms of differences in additive genetic variability between the two sexes because: (1) both sexes contribute to the genetic variability utilized by selection applied to one sex only, and (2) switching selection pressure on females in the M lines does not result in a response comparable to that obtained in the F populations; this rules out almost completely recombination as the responsible agent for the differences between the selection limits reached by M and F selections.-These results, together with several additional observations concerning sexual dimorphism, fitness and the effect of natural selection, suggest that a complex interaction should be involved in the differential response of M and F lines, controlling the wing length phenotype.