Phenotypic plasticity and the evolution of trade-offs: the quantitative genetics of resource allocation in the wing dimorphic cricket, Gryllus firmus.
In the wing dimorphic sand cricket, Gryllus firmus, there is a pronounced trade-off between flight capability and fecundity. This trade-off is found both between morphs and within the macropterous morph, in which fecundity is negatively correlated with the mass of the principle flight muscles, the dorso-longitudinal muscles (DLM). In this paper, we examine how this trade-off is affected by a reduction in food and its genetic basis. We find that the relative fitness of the two wing morphs is not changed although both fecundity and DLM mass are decreased. A quantitative genetic analysis shows that the trade-off function is genetically variable but that most of the variation occurs in the intercept rather than the slope of the function. Analysis further indicates a very high genetic correlation between environments (food ration) supporting the hypothesis of a strong functional constraint between reproduction and flight capability.
Roff
D A
DA
Department of Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA. derek.roff@ucr.edu
Gélinas
M B
MB
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D004435:Eating; D004777:Environment; D005298:Fertility / Q000502:physiology; D005426:Flight, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D005828:Genetics, Population; D006135:Gryllidae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D010641:Phenotype