A collaborative research group at Chiba University, Tohoku University, and Kochi University compared behaviors within a population of Drosophila and found that the diversity of behavioral personalities enhances the productivity and stability of the population.
It is known that Drosophila melanogaster genetically coexists with two personalities, the skein type (Rover type), which actively moves around when searching for food, and the unfussy type (sitter type), which feeds without much movement. ing.Using this as a model animal, we examined the effects of individual diversity on population productivity and sustainability.
The group experimentally creates an environment in which the minority is advantageous in the competition for food (undernutrition conditions) and conditions in which it is not (undernutrition conditions), and combines the two personalities (seaseka type and unfussy type) alone or in combination. The animals were bred and the productivity (survival rate and total weight of the population) was compared.As a result, under malnutrition conditions, the productivity of the "diversified population" in which both were mixed was the highest compared to the population of only the unfussy type or only the skein type.
It is thought that this is partly because the individuality of the behavior of searching for food has eased the competition within the group for resources.It was also found that the more diverse the population, the more stable and high productivity is maintained even if the environmental conditions are changed.
It is expected that the results of this research will contribute to the effective utilization of diversity in society as well as the effective conservation of living organisms and the improvement of crop production efficiency by promoting a correct understanding of the function of diversity. ..
Paper information:[Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences] Balanced genetic diversity improves population fitness (PDF)
