U.S.-Mexico Research: Ecological Genetics of Desert Adapted Drosophila

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9402161 Pitnick This U.S.-Mexico award will support Prof. Scott Pitnick of Arizona State University in a research collaboration with Prof. Edward Pfeiler of the Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Guaymas campus. The investigators intend to use allozyme variability of four cactophilic Drosophila species, endemic to the Sonoran Desert, to characterize the genetic structure of all four species and to compare the genetic structure of each species at different seasons in the context of resource availability. They will also examine the relationship between genotype and differential tolerance to thermal extremes. The four Drosophila species endemic to the Sonoran Desert have been an important model for studies of ecological genetics. Their usefulness, however, has been limited by the lack of knowledge of the genetic structure of these populations and how genetic structure varies with resource availability and with season. The proposed work, through complementary use of facilities and expertise, will increase our understanding of the field. ***