Phenogenetic Studies of the Homoeotic Mutants of Drosophila melanogaster

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Abstract
Bithorax alters the development of the fruit fly so that the haltere primordium becomes more or less wing-like and the metathorax resembles the mesothorax. Bi-thorax-34e flies were given high- and low-temp, treatments during development, beginning 0 to 5 days after the eggs were laid, and continuing 1 to 8 days. Heat treatments (29[degree]C) increased the expression of the mutant, causing an increase in the change of the haltere to a wing. Cold treatments (15[degree]C) decreased the expression, causing the metathoracic appendage to be more haltere-like. The increase or decrease was roughly proportional to the duration of the treatment and treatments begun 4 days after oviposition were slightly more effective in shifting development than those begun earlier or later. The treatments affected the development of the extra thorax and scutellum which appear between the normal scutellum and abdomen in a similar fashion. The application of Goldschmidt''s theory of the action of homoeotic loci to these data is discussed.

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