Ecogeographical variations of chromosomal polymorphism in Hawaiian populations of Drosophila immigrans

Abstract

Eighteen samples from twelve populations of Drosophila immigrans in the islands of Kauai, Oahu and Hawaii in the Hawaiian archipelago were analyzed for inversion polymorphism in 1125 females and 206 males. Three kinds of second chromosome inversions, which appear to be identical with those previously reported by other workers, were present in all of our populations; two other new inversions of the same autosome were detected from the Hawaii collections, but their origin, whether natural or laboratory, could not be assured. The average proportion of inversion heterozygosity per individual of the populations from Kauai, Oahu and Hawaii was about 34%, 32% and 65% respectively. The frequencies of heterozygous inversions Here similar between different populations within islands (with one notable exception on Hawaii). In contrast, the frequencies were significantly heterogeneous from one island to the next. The results of gene arrangement frequency analysis consolidated the above findings. It is suggested that the inter-island differentiations are due to natural selection and probably maintained by the isolation by oceanic channels. Two near-by localities on Hawaii were inhabited with significantly heterogeneous populations. Such a microgeographic differentiation has been interpreted as being due to the presence of highly localized, differential selection forces in the two localities, and the difference seems to be maintained due to isolation by the lava flows. Our data suggest that the breeding units of Hawaiian populations of D. immigrans are not so small as to allow for genetic drift to significantly affect the populations. Inversion polymorphism was similar between females and males taken at the same time in the same localities.