Esterase Polymorphism in the Butterfly Hemiargus isola Stability in a Variable Environment
- 1 January 1971
- journal article
- Published by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Vol. 68 (1), 34-37
- https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.68.1.34
Abstract
A dimeric esterase of a lycaenid butterfly shows rich, electrophoretically-detectable variation in natural populations in Texas. This isozyme variation is controlled by multiple alleles at an autosomal locus (Es-d). In each population sampled there are 9-14 alleles, two of which (Es-d(100) and Es-d(80)) predominate and form about 84% of the gene pool. Against the background of numerous rarer alleles, their frequencies are notably stable (about 65% and 19%, respectively) in ecologically variable space and time. Although adults (especially females) are capable of genetically effective dispersal, environmental heterogeneity within each locality is thought to be the prime factor maintaining the polymorphism.Keywords
This publication has 3 references indexed in Scilit:
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