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Heterozygosity at enzyme loci and morphological variation

Heterozygosity at enzyme loci and morphological variation Two recent reports1,2 have concerned the relationship between genie heterozygosity, as indicated by electrophoretically detected enzyme loci, and an individual's tendency to depart from the mean on a variety of morphological traits. Using different methods to assess differences in morphological variances between homozygote and heterozygote classes, both conclude that homozygotes show a significantly higher level of morphological variation. These conclusions are important in that they seem to extend the phenomenon from studies on manipulated stocks of organisms3 to variation in natural populations. As Eanes2 points out, it is necessary to determine the generality of this result. Both these studies1,2 consider poikilotherm animals (a fish and an insect), so it would be particularly interesting to look for the relationship in homoiotherms. As a contribution to this end, I present here the results (Table 1) of an analysis of variation in the Rufous-collared sparrow, Zonotrichia capensis 4. I found no difference in levels of variation either between the homozygote and heterozygote classes or between classes of individuals heterozygous at different numbers of loci. My results thus suggest a difference between homoiotherms and poikilotherms in this phenomenon. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Nature Springer Journals

Heterozygosity at enzyme loci and morphological variation

Handford, Paul
Nature , Volume 286 (5770) – Jul 17, 1980
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References (12)

Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright © 1980 by Nature Publishing Group
Subject
Science, Humanities and Social Sciences, multidisciplinary; Science, Humanities and Social Sciences, multidisciplinary; Science, multidisciplinary
ISSN
0028-0836
eISSN
1476-4687
DOI
10.1038/286261a0
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Two recent reports1,2 have concerned the relationship between genie heterozygosity, as indicated by electrophoretically detected enzyme loci, and an individual's tendency to depart from the mean on a variety of morphological traits. Using different methods to assess differences in morphological variances between homozygote and heterozygote classes, both conclude that homozygotes show a significantly higher level of morphological variation. These conclusions are important in that they seem to extend the phenomenon from studies on manipulated stocks of organisms3 to variation in natural populations. As Eanes2 points out, it is necessary to determine the generality of this result. Both these studies1,2 consider poikilotherm animals (a fish and an insect), so it would be particularly interesting to look for the relationship in homoiotherms. As a contribution to this end, I present here the results (Table 1) of an analysis of variation in the Rufous-collared sparrow, Zonotrichia capensis 4. I found no difference in levels of variation either between the homozygote and heterozygote classes or between classes of individuals heterozygous at different numbers of loci. My results thus suggest a difference between homoiotherms and poikilotherms in this phenomenon.

Journal

Nature – Springer Journals

Published: Jul 17, 1980

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