THE HERITABILITY OF EXTERNAL MORPHOLOGY IN DARWIN'S GROUND FINCHES (GEOSPIZA) ON ISLA DAPHNE MAJOR, GALÁPAGOS

摘要: Ecologists use avian morphological measurements to develop and test evolutionary theories. The theories are usually based on genetic models, although little is known about the inheritance of such characters. In field studies it commonly assumed that phenotypic variation closely reflects underlying (Grant et al., 1976), while theoreticians sometimes assume heritabilities equal one (Long, 1974). P. R. Grant his colleagues 1976; Abbott 1977; Boag Grant, 1981; 198 lb) have been studying Darwin's ground finches (Geospiza) in Galapagos, focusing relationships between finch morphology food supplies. Unlike Mendelian characters as plumage polymorphisms (Mineau Cooke, 1979), involves metric studied using quantitative genetics (Falconer, 1981). Quantitative describes value an individual (e.g., its