Experiment Testing White Eyes in Drosophila Melanogaster as a Sex-linked Trait

Krista Dace, Section 3

Abstract
In this experiment, we attempted to test the theory that the white eye phenotype in Drosophila
melanogaster is a sex linked trait. Two trials were conducted breeding male, red-eyed flies with
female, white-eyed flies in one and female, red-eyed flies with male, white-eyed flies in
another. Although some data supported the theory, our results were for the most part
statistically insignificant and we were unable to obtain conclusive evidence as a whole in the
experiment.

Introduction
The study of sex-linked inheritance is important in both animal and human genetics due to a
variety of disorders caused by sex-linked traits such as colorblindness in humans. As a result,
the study of various disorders in other organisms can help us to understand our own genetics
better. Drosophila melanogaster was first studied in terms of sex-linked traits by Thomas Hunt
Morgan upon his discovery of a white-eyed male fly. This in turn led to the research done by
Calvin Bridges about the chromosomal ratio determining gender in D. melanogaster (Pierce).

Materials
In one vial we put two randomly selected male red-eyed flies and two randomly selected
female white-eyed flies. We observed them for several days until there was a large number of
distinctly visible larvae within the media. The four flies of the parent generation were then
removed from the vial. We waited for the F larvae to mature and then sorted and counted the
flies according to their gender and eye phenotype. These flies were then transferred to a new
vial and allowed to breed. Once again, when larvae were visible the parent generation was
removed. The F generation was then sorted by gender and eye phenotype. This experiment
was repeated initially using two female red-eyed flies paired with two male white-eyed flies.
Statistical tests conducted were the chi-squared tests.
Results and Discussion

Number of Progeny from 2 Red-Eyed

Male + 2 White-Eyed Female Cross
F F
Female EE 26 2
Female ee 34 4
Male E 0 4
Male e 41 3
Table 1: fly counts of the F and F generations of the cross between red-eyed males and white-
eyed females

The ratio of observed phenotypes in the F progeny of the initial test deviated significantly from
the expected ratios from Thomas Morgans experiments (Pierce). The expected counts for
females with red eyes was approximately three times that of the actual result. Opposite that,
the expected count for females with white eyes were approximately one third of the result. Our
data, as seen in Table 1, also showed a lack of red-eyed male flies in the F generation. The final
chi-squared test statistic was 54. Using 3 degrees of freedom, the results were shown to be far
from statistically significant.
However, the F generation of the same test coincided closely with the expected results. The
test statistic was 0.862. We used 3 degrees of freedom and had a resulting p-value between .05
and .01 showing that the test was statistically significant. Unfortunately, due the results of the
previous generation and the significantly smaller sample size, the significance of this is more
likely to have been by chance than if it stood alone.

Number of Progeny from 2 Red-Eyed

Females + 2 White-Eyed Males Cross
F F
Female EE 33 19
Female ee 0 0
Male E 39 8
Male e 0 0
Table 2: fly counts of the F and F generations of the cross between red-eyed females and
white-eyed males

The F generation shown in Table 2 of this test behaved as expected with only red-eyed flies
produced, thus supporting the theory that white-eyes are a sex-linked recessive trait in D.
melanogaster. However, our chi-squared test resulted in a statistic that was not statistically
significant at 3 degrees of freedom. The p-value was approximately 0.92. The F generation of
this test was also not statistically significant. There was also a complete lack of the white-eyed
male flies when previous research suggested would have made up about one-quarter of the
population. The test statistic was 9.222.
From these test results, we cannot conclude that white-eyes are a sex-liked recessive trait in D.
melanogaster.

Citations:
Pierce, B. (2014). Genetics A Conceptual Approach 5th Edition. New York: W.H. Freeman and
Company