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Research Paper

Reproductive Tract Interactions Contribute to Isolation in Drosophila

Erin S. Kelleher and Therese A. Markow

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Understanding how new species arise remains a persistent challenge in evolutionary biology. Extensive studies on a range of organisms have shown that the speciation process is complex and involves the development of several mechanisms for reproductive isolation. Recently, it has been hypothesized that postcopulatory-prezygotic isolation, which occurs in the female reproductive tract, may play an important role in speciation. Empirical evidence of specific incompatibilities, however, remains sparse. Here we use matings between two related species of Drosophila, D. mojavensis and D. arizonae, to demonstrate the role of reproductive tract interactions in speciation and to identify aberrant phenotypes in heterospecifically mated females.

Authors

Erin S. Kelleher

University of Arizona

Therese A. Markow

University of Arizona

This is an open-access article

 Download PDF

If the document does not open, please right-click on the link (control-click on a Macintosh) and select the option to save the file to disk.