CORRELATED CHARACTERS IN COMPLEX GENETIC SYSTEMS

自然选择通常作用于表型，但如果没有 群体中个体之间的遗传变异。 遗传 性状间的相关为普遍的多效性 基因的（多种）效应和连锁不平衡（非随机） 影响不同性状的等位基因的关联）。 这些是 特别重要的是，在确定对选择或随机选择的反应时， 小种群的遗传漂变，因为遗传相关 角色不能独立进化。 目前流行的模式， 分析相关性状的选择和进化， 后代对亲本表型的回归是线性的， 字符在总体中具有多元正态分布。 的 遗传因素引起的非线性（非加性）遗传效应 相互作用，即显性和上位性，对表型进化将是 研究了 遗传相互作用、连锁 不平衡和非随机交配对遗传和进化的影响 数量性状也将在理论上进行研究。 将进行黑腹果蝇实验以评估 子代-亲本回归的非线性程度和对 形态性状和雌性生殖力的选择。 自发 影响形态特征和繁殖力的突变 单性生殖（asecual）品系的果蝇mercatorum也将被 实验研究。 这些研究将有助于阐明基本的 自然界相关性状的进化问题 种群，也将在害虫或疾病控制中应用 程序和人工选择实验。

Natural selection generally acts on phenotypes, but is ineffective without genetic variation between individuals in a population. Genetic correlations between characters are dure to udiquitous pleiotropic (manifold) effects of genes, and linkage disequilibrium (non random associations of alleles affecting different traits). These are particularly important in determining the response to selection, or random genetic drift in small populations, because genetically correlated characters cannot evolve independently. Currently popular models used to analyze selection and evolution of correlatec characters assume that the regression of offspring on parent phenotypes is linear, and that the characters have a multivariate normal distribution in the population. The effects of nonlinear (nonadditive) inheritance caused by genetic interaction, i.e. dominance and epistasis, on phenotypic evolution will be investigated. The joint influence of genetic interation, linkage disequilibrium and nonrandom mating on the inheritance and evolution of quantitative characters will also be investigated theoretically. Experiments with Dorsophila melanogaster will be preformed to assess the extent of non linearity in offspring-parent regressions and response to selection for morphological characters and female fecundity. Spontaneous mutation affecting morphological characters and fecundity in parthenogenetic (asecual) strains of Drosophila mercatorum will also be studied experimentally. These studies will help to clarify fundamental questions concerning the evolution of correlated characters in natural populations, and will also have applications in pest or disease control programs and in artificial selection experiments.