Autosomal Lethal Mutation Frequencies in Drosophila

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Abstract
By an extension of the Cy/Pm and SbC/2C Dfd method for detecting lethals in the 2d and 3d chromosomes of D. melanogaster, the frequency of lethal mutations per generation was obtained. The determinations were made at constant temp. for several successive generations, and after several generations during which an accumulation of lothals was allowed to occur. There is an appreciable rate of mutation under constant environmental conditions, the rate being slightly higher in the 3d than in the 2d chromosome. Since the rate of mutation is in proportion to the length of the chromosome, the rate of mutation per gene is apparently approx. the same for all chromosomes. Exposure of larvae to 37.5[degree] for 12 hours increases the rate 3-6 times.