Application of ecological genetics techniques to test for selection by habitat on allozymes in Cepaea nemoralis (L.)

• Published in: Heredity Vol. 77; no. 3; pp. 324 - 335
• Main Author: WILSON, I. F
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basingstoke Nature Publishing 01-09-1996
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Cepaea nemoralis; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetics of eukaryotes. Biological and molecular evolution; Invertebrata; Population genetics, reproduction patterns; England; United Kingdom; Great Britain; Europe; British Isles; Genetic variability; Gene frequency; Enzyme; Cepaea nemoralis; Morphology; Genetic distance; Gastropoda; Invertebrata; Mollusca; Population genetics; Polymorphism; Natural selection
• ISSN: 0018-067X; 1365-2540
• DOI: 10.1038/hdy.1996.146

Techniques of ecological genetics were applied to the distribution of gene frequencies at seven polymorphic enzyme loci among populations of Cepaea nemoralis in lowland England in an attempt to detect evidence of natural selection operating at the molecular level. In Warwickshire, the frequencies of MDH-1 alleles differed significantly, and those at PEP-D nearly so, between ancient woodlands and old open habitats. However, these differences were not repeated elsewhere. Overall, the pattern of gene frequencies at the molecular level was uncoupled from that at the morphological level, where there was evidence of natural selection on shell colour and banding patterns. The brown phenotype did not appear to be selected in relation to the visible background but, in Gloucestershire, was found to be at a higher frequency on the upper slopes than at lower altitudes along the Cotswold escarpment.