The long-term goal of this project is to understand the process of speciation through genetic analysis of its products: closely-related species. Our method uses classical genetic techniques to reveal the numbers, locations, and effects of genes causing sexual isolation and morphological differences between Drosophila species, and genes causing sterility and inviability of their hybrids. A collection of such analyses, conducted in three different Drosophila groups, will reveal patterns that address the following questions: 1. Are reproductive isolation and morphological differences between species due to only a few genes of large effect, or do they have a more polygenic basis? 2. Where are the genes causing reproductive isolation? Are they located in similar regions among different species pairs of a group, implying genetic """"""""hotspots"""""""" of speciation? When they cause sexual isolation (mating discrimination), which aspects of courtship are affected? 3. Are the genes causing sexual isolation concentrated on the sex chromosomes, like those causing postzygotic isolation? 4. Is the genetic basis of sexual isolation similar in males and in females? 5. Are there consistent patterns to the genetics of reproductive isolation that hold across different groups? 6. What is the genetic basis of maternal effects that cause sterility of hybrids? 7. Can genetic drift contribute to speciation in small colonizing populations? Our data will not only help resolve current controversies about the genetics of speciation, but also motivate new theories. The results may be relevant to understanding the origin of species in other animals, including humans.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01GM038462-06
Application #
3294894
Study Section
Genetics Study Section (GEN)
Project Start
1987-07-01
Project End
1993-06-30
Budget Start
1992-07-01
Budget End
1993-06-30
Support Year
6
Fiscal Year
1992
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Chicago
Department
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
225410919
City
Chicago
State
IL
Country
United States
Zip Code
60637
Coyne, J A; Berry, A (1994) Effects of the fourth chromosome on the sterility of hybrids between Drosophila simulans and its relatives. J Hered 85:224-7
Coyne, J A; Crittenden, A P; Mah, K (1994) Genetics of a pheromonal difference contributing to reproductive isolation in Drosophila. Science 265:1461-4
Coyne, J A; Meyers, W; Crittenden, A P et al. (1993) The fertility effects of pericentric inversions in Drosophila melanogaster. Genetics 134:487-96
Orr, H A (1992) Mapping and characterization of a 'speciation gene' in Drosophila. Genet Res 59:73-80
Coyne, J A (1992) Genetics of sexual isolation in females of the Drosophila simulans species complex. Genet Res 60:25-31
Orr, H A (1991) A test of Fisher's theory of dominance. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 88:11413-5
Anderson, W W; Arnold, J; Baldwin, D G et al. (1991) Four decades of inversion polymorphism in Drosophila pseudoobscura. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 88:10367-71
Coyne, J A; Aulard, S; Berry, A (1991) Lack of underdominance in a naturally occurring pericentric inversion in Drosophila melanogaster and its implications for chromosome evolution. Genetics 129:791-802
Orr, H A (1990) Developmental anomalies in Drosophila hybrids are apparently caused by loss of microchromosome. Heredity 64 ( Pt 2):255-62
Coyne, J A (1989) Mutation rates in hybrids between sibling species of Drosophila. Heredity 63 ( Pt 2):155-62

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