Meeting Abstract

11.6  Saturday, Jan. 4 11:30  Genotype-by-environment interactions of demographic values in fluctuating thermal environments using Drosophila melanogaster EGGE, AR*; ELLER, OC; MORGAN, TJ; Kansas State University; Kansas State University; Kansas State University aegge@ksu.edu

Organisms often experience a wide range of temperatures in nature, exhibited by daily and seasonal fluctuations. Ectotherms are particularly susceptible to these fluctuations and must alter their physiology in order to survive and reproduce in potentially stressful conditions. Assessment of egg laying and survivorship at different temperature regimes provides significant information on how different genotypes are affected by thermal fluctuations. Drosophila melanogaster have adapted to a range of thermal regimes and inhabit much of the world. They also provide us with a large base of genetic resources including the Drosophila melanogaster Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP). We chose forty genotypes from the DGRP to assess absolute lifetime fitness measures at two different fluctuating environments: 18° ± 6° C and 25°± 6° C (average 18.3° C and 25.3° C, respectively). Preliminary results indicate significant variation in survival and egg laying rates among these forty genotypes, which may lead to significant differences in demographic parameters such as lambda, net reproductive rate, and generation time. These parameters are important in assessing long-term population-wide, genotype-specific survival under natural conditions. Association mapping of these 40 genotypes will provide candidate genes involved in these thermally sensitive reproductive values.