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. 1970 Sep;67(1):225–232. doi: 10.1073/pnas.67.1.225

Enzyme Variability in the Drosophila willistoni Group, I. Genetic Differentiation Among Sibling Species

Francisco J Ayala 1, Celso A Mourão 1,†, Santiago Pérez-Salas 1,†, Rollin Richmond 1,†, Theodosius Dobzhansky 1
PMCID: PMC283192  PMID: 5272313

Abstract

We have studied by gel electrophoresis the variability of 14 structural genes in four sibling species, Drosophila willistoni, D. paulistorum, D. equinoxialis, and D. tropicalis. Samples of about 30 populations from different parts of the distribution areas of each species were examined. Genetic variants are found at every locus; 67% of the loci are polymorphic, having two or more alleles, the rarer of which has a frequency of 5% or higher.

The gene frequencies are fairly uniform over the distribution area of each species, but considerably different in different species. It is estimated that individuals which belong to the different species differ on the average in somewhat more than one half of their gene loci. The morphological similarity of the four sibling species contrasts with the extensive diversity in their genetic materials.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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