Evidence for additive polygenic control of pupation height in Drosophila ananassae

In order to study the mode of inheritance of pupation height in Drosophila ananassae, two mass culture stocks derived from ecogeographically different localities in India, were used to make a complete set of 16 crosses, which include parentals, F1, backcrosses, and F2. Pupation height defined as the distance a larva pupates over the surface of culture medium was scored in all 16 crosses. The two parental lines showed significant difference in pupation height. The F1 larvae in both reciprocal crosses had intermediate pupation height and there was no difference between two reciprocal crosses as well as between F1 and mid parent value. However, there was greater variance in the F2 generation. These findings provide evidence that the inheritance of pupation height fits a classical additive polygenic model and suggested that there is substantial amount of additive genetic variation in natural populations of D. ananassae. Furthermore, the analysis of reciprocal backcrosses shows significant maternal effect. Progeny with low pupating mothers showed lower pupation height than those with low pupating fathers and progeny with high pupating mothers had higher pupation height than those with high pupating fathers. Since the maternal effect was found only in backcrosses but not in the F1, it is suggested that this maternal effect on pupation height follows the pattern of inheritance of a transient maternal effect.