Antagonistic pleiotropy and the evolution of wing dimorphism in the sand cricket, gryllus firmus

ABSTRACT At 30°C the micropterous females of the sand cricket, _Gryllus firmus_, begin reproduction at an earlier age after eclosion and have a larger cumulative fecundity than macropterous

females. These reproductive costs may offset the advantages of being macropterous and hence capable of migration. The evolutionary significance of this phenotypic trade-off, which is

characteristic of wing dimorphic insects in general, is contigent on the traits being genetically correlated. The genetic basis of the phenotypic tradeoff between flight capability and

reproduction in the sand cricket, _Gryllus firmus_, was examined by selecting for increased and decreased incidence of macroptery, and measuring the age schedules of fecundity of

macropterous and micropterous females in the selected and control lines. The two traits, wing dimorphism and age schedule of reproduction, are shown to be genetically correlated. Although

the mean fecundity within the selected populations changed the fecundities of macropterous and micropterous forms remained constant, suggesting that the age schedule of reproduction may

itself be a threshold trait with respect to the continuously varying character controlling the expression of wing form. The relevance of antagonistic pleiotropy to the maintenance of genetic

variation for wing form and the age schedule of reproduction is discussed. SIMILAR CONTENT BEING VIEWED BY OTHERS SEASONAL VARIATION IN WING SIZE AND SHAPE OF _DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER_

REVEALS RAPID ADAPTATION TO ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES Article Open access 26 August 2022 MACROEVOLUTION ALONG DEVELOPMENTAL LINES OF LEAST RESISTANCE IN FLY WINGS Article Open access 07 February

2025 EXPERIMENTAL DATA SUGGEST BETWEEN POPULATION REVERSAL IN THE CONDITION DEPENDENCE OF TWO SEXUALLY SELECTED TRAITS Article Open access 04 February 2025 ARTICLE PDF REFERENCES * Butler,

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ARTICLE Roff, D. Antagonistic pleiotropy and the evolution of wing dimorphism in the sand cricket, _Gryllus firmus_. _Heredity_ 65, 169–177 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1038/hdy.1990.85

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