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. 1995 Oct 10;92(21):9505–9509. doi: 10.1073/pnas.92.21.9505

Localization of pheromonal sexual dimorphism in Drosophila melanogaster and its effect on sexual isolation.

J A Coyne 1, R Oyama 1
PMCID: PMC40830  PMID: 7568163

Abstract

Drosophila melanogaster is sexually dimorphic for cuticular hydrocarbons, with males and females having strikingly different profiles of the long-chain compounds that act as contact pheromones. Gas-chromatographic analysis of sexual mosaics reveals that the sex specificity of hydrocarbons is located in the abdomen. This explains previous observations that D. melanogaster males display the strongest courtship toward mosaics with female abdomens. We also show that males of the sibling species Drosophila simulans preferentially court D. melanogaster mosaics with male abdomens. Because the primary male hydrocarbon in D. melanogaster is also the primary female hydrocarbon in D. simulans, this supports the idea that interspecific differences in cuticular hydrocarbons contribute to sexual isolation.

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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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