Larval food restriction and Iongevity: effects on the age specific mortality and mean longevity in natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster and Its Sibling D. simulans

Abstract

In the study presented, we compare the effects of food restriction variation on longevity in Drosophila melanogaster and its sibling species D. simulans in natural populations in a sex based experimental design. Our data show that rate of increase in age specific mortality parameter (b, from the classical logistic equation) and mean longevity are affected differently by the restriction. However, both age specific mortality parameter and the mean longevity are contributed by species, sex and population specific effects at different levels in response to food restriction variation. We conclude that this non-universal phenomena could be expected on the fact that longevity, as a life history trait likely to be influenced by many genes is not independent of various background effects.