Mating competition in artificial populations ofDrosophila melanogasterpolymorphic forebony: II. A test for minority male mating advantage

Abstract

SummaryMating competition experiments withD. melanogasterwere performed in light and darkness under conditions mimicking those under which artificial populations show a stable polymorphism for theebonygene (e). In both light and darkness a minority male mating advantage was found fore/ + males in competition with wild-type males, but in light only when ebony was in the majority. Homozygous wild-type males showed minority advantage only in light and ebony males only in darkness.