Cannalization

[Stanley A. Gorodenski]

I ran across an old Research Note in the DIS (Drosophila Information
Service) dating to January 1971. It is Titled "Increased developmental
homeostasis in a natural population and climatic change". It appears
research and data existed in the 1960's that showed developmental
homeostasis was greater when a species existed under a more variable
climate, and laboratory populations of Drosophila developed greater
homeostasis when the populations were maintained under conditions of
fluctuating temperatures.

Projecting this to current climatic conditions, it would seem that the
more variable climatic resulting from global warming should result in
the evolution for greater developmental homeostasis in lepidopteran
populations. Can we expect to net fewer deformed butterflies in the
future because of this?

Related to this, it seems I net more butterflies with deformed wings
than I observe in moths around lights at night. Would others agree with
this observation? If true, what is the cause? Is it because pupae of
butterflies are in a more harsher environment and the imago emerges
under more harsher conditions than moths, or is it because butterflies
exhibit a smaller degree of cannalization than moths? I suspect the
former (if the observation is true).
Stan



 
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