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Environmental Factors in Gender Selection in Fruit Flies

The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, is a favorite animal model for genetic researchers because of its short lifespan and breeding cycle and its well-established genetic characteristics. Temperature influences many of the physiological processes of D. melanogaster, including gender assignment.

  1. Genetic Adaptation

    • D. melanogaster originated in sub-Saharan Africa and began to migrate north about 10,000 years ago. Necessary physical characteristic for adaptation to new environments are genetically encoded by the animals' chromosomes and are strongly influenced by environmental conditions, including temperature. The extreme difference in average temperatures along this route has demanded genetic adaptation, which has resulted in the emergence of the insects in dissimilar environments.

    Influence of Temperature

    • Several traits of the fruit fly, Drosophila buzzattii, are determined by temperature. A study published in the June 2006 issue of "Heredity" investigated the effects of thermal adaptation on 13 traits of D. buzzattii collected from southeast Australia. The researchers found that geographical locations and their climatic characteristics were responsible for the adaption to environments. The study further found that gender was largely determined by temperature, but other factors may be involved as well.

    Genetic Regulation

    • The structure of the D. melanogaster chromosome is regulated by a gene called "cramped," or crm. An article appearing in the January 2001 issue of "PLoS Genetics" has found that the crm gene is the main control of phenotypes, or physical characteristics, that are regulated by temperature. The article went on to conclude that fluctuations in the environment control inter-connected physiological processes, controlled by the crm gene, that drive the evolution of the species.

    Other Environmental Factors

    • The abundance of food will impact the survivorship of fruit flies based on gender. A report in the July 2011 issue of "Fly" measured the amount of food intake between male and female fruit flies, Drosophila melanogaster. The researchers measured the amount of feces produced by both genders, through the use of tracer molecules and found that females consume three- to five-fold more food than do their male counterparts. The study concluded that dietary restrictions will have more effects on the female population than on the male population.

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