Drosophila subobscura flies adapted to low lead concentration carry no fitness cost.
As a response to the long-term presence of heavy metals in the environment, populations can evolve resistance. Its maintenance may have detrimental effect on population's fitness, causing a fitness cost. Lead is one of the widely distributed elements in the environment exhibiting high toxicity on organisms. By analyzing developmental stages viability and developmental time, we evaluated fitness cost in Drosophila subobscura flies adapted to low lead concentration and control flies derived from the same wild population, as well as their hybrids. Significant changes in specific developmental stages viability were detected in both lines, as well as their hybrids, suggesting complex response to low lead concentration. The results show that a long-term exposure to low lead concentration may have a significant impact on a population's survival, especially in a changing environment conditions.
Institute for Biological Research, University of Belgrade, Despot Stefan Blvd. 142, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; Justus-Liebig-University Gießen, Winchesterstr. 2, 35394 Gießen, Germany. Electronic address: predrag.kalajdzic@agrar.uni-giessen.de.
Predrag
P
Kalajdzic
Institute for Biological Research, University of Belgrade, Despot Stefan Blvd. 142, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia. Electronic address: bojan.kenig@ibiss.bg.ac.rs.
Bojan
B
Kenig
Institute for Biological Research, University of Belgrade, Despot Stefan Blvd. 142, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia; Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Knez Mihailova 35, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia. Electronic address: markoa@ibiss.bg.ac.rs.
Marko
M
Andjelkovic
D000220:Adaptation, Biological; D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D007854:Lead / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male
D007854:Lead
Drosophila subobscura; Fitness cost; Lead