ARTIFICIAL SELECTION FOR DEVELOPMENTAL TIME IN DROSOPHILA-MELANOGASTER IN RELATION TO THE EVOLUTION OF AGING - DIRECT AND CORRELATED RESPONSES

A wild-type strain of Drosophila melanogaster was successfully selected for both fast and slow larval development. The realized heritabilities (h(2)) ranged from 0.20 to 0.30 for the fast lines and 0.35 to 0.60 for the slow lines. The selection applied is relevant in relation to the evolution of aging. The longevity of adults, either virgin or mated, was not affected by selection for developmental time, indicating that developmental time is not a causal determinant of life span, thus confirming the results of the studies on environmental effects on aging (Zwaan et al. 1991, 1992). However, adult body weights were higher in the slow developmental lines and lower in the fast lines, relative to the control flies. Furthermore, slow females showed relatively high early fecundity and low late fecundity, as compared with control and fast females. Mated longevities and total lifetime progeny productions were not statistically different. Previous results obtained by other authors from selection experiments on age at reproduction either supported the mutation accumulation or the negative pleiotropy theory of aging (Luckinbill et al. 1984; Rose 1984b). The impact of the reported results on the interpretation of these studies is discussed, and it is noted that direct selection on adult longevity is needed to settle this issue.