Heterosis in crosses between lines of Drosophila melanogaster selected for adaptation to different environments

Summary Experiments were designed to examine whether heterosis would occur in crosses of Drosophila melanogaster populations adapted to 18 °C or 28 °C environments. Crosses were examined in parental environments, an intermediate environment (23 °C) and a mixed environment (alternating 18°/28°C). Parental populations did not show divergence for larval viability, cold shock or high temperature mortalities when tested in a common environment. However, the 28 °C population was less fecund than the 18 °C population, but had higher larval competitive ability and higher adult longevity. Heterosis for viability, cold shock mortality and high temperature mortality occurred in crosses between a population adapted to 18 °C and another adapted to 28 °C, but not in crosses between two populations adapted to the same temperature. The results suggest that, in the absence of drift, heterosis is expected in crosses between lines or populations with different histories of selection but not between lines with the same selection histories.