Meeting Abstract

P1.159  Sunday, Jan. 4  Phenotypic placticity of body size in response to atmospheric oxygen in Drosophila melanogaster HUBB, A. J.*; KLOK, C. J.; HARRISON, J. F.; Arizona State Univeristy; Arizona State University; Arizona State University alex.hubb@asu.edu

The concentration of oxygen in the atmosphere has strong effects on adult body size in a variety of animals, including fruit flies, Drosophila melanogaster. Prior experiments have indicated that lower oxygen levels lead to linear decreases in the body size of fruitflies while hyperoxia (40% oxygen) increases size. However, all of these prior studies have reared fruitflies in bottles of fly populations, precluding clear differentiation of phenotypic plasticity from evolution occurring within a single generation. To address this concern, we reared fruitflies individually under 7 test oxygen levels (10%, 16%, 21%, 24%, 27%, 31%, 40%) and measured adult mass. Hypoxia suppressed body size, but body sizes of all flies reared at 21% oxygen and above were identical. These data suggest that prior studies indicating phenotypic plasticity of fly body size in response to hyperoxia may have instead been indicative of rapid evolution. Supported by NSF HRD-0114712 (WAESO at ASU) and NSF IOB-0419704 (JFH).