Skip Navigation

American Zoologist 1986 26(1):201-208; doi:10.1093/icb/26.1.201
© 1986 by The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Request Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by DIMICHELE, L.
Right arrow Articles by DIMICHELE, J. A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Developmental and Physiological Consequences of Genetic Variation at Enzyme Synthesizing Loci in Fundulus heteroclitus1

LEONARD DIMICHELE, DENNIS A. POWERS and JUDITH A. DIMICHELE
Chesapeake Bay Institute, The Johns Hopkins University 4800 Atwell Road, Shady Side, Maryland 20764
Department of Biology, The John Hopkins University Baltimore, Maryland 21218

The evolutionary significance of protein polymorphisms has been long debated. Exponents of the balanced theory advocate that selection operates to maintain polymorphisms, while those of the neoclassical school argue that most genetic variation is selectively neutral. In a series of laboratory and field experiments conducted over the last 5 years, we have found that the developmental rates of Fundulus heteroclitus embryos were highly correlated with genetic variation at 3 enzymatic loci: lactate dehydrogenase-B, malate dehydrogenase-A, and glucose phosphate isomerase-B. Pairwise comparisons of these loci generally indicated an averaging of developmental rates; however, a synergysm was found between the MDH-A and GPI-B loci. Our field studies indicated that selective forces may contribute to the maintenance of these polymorphisms via hatching time selection. Since feral eggs incubate aerially during the neap tides, either very rapid or very slow developmental rates may lead to deleterious stranding above the water line. In addition, very slow developmental rates may lead to increased predation pressure.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.