A stabilizing interaction between the founder effect and interdeme mixing in competing populations of Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila simulans

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Abstract
Population cages with Drosophila melanogaster and D. simulans in competition were maintained under high predation pressure. The cages were established under three different conditions. One group of cages was started with a large population (150 adults) of each species. In these cages D. melanogaster was quickly depressed to low levels by D. simulans. A second group of cages was established with a small population (15 adults) of each species. These cages showed a great deal of diversity of both population size and dominant species. The third group of cages was established by mixing the populations of the cages of the second group and redistributing this mixed population among separate cages. In this last group of cages, the D. simulans population resembled those observed in the cages started with large populations, but the D. melanogaster populations had changed. Instead of being depressed to extinction, D. melanogaster was observed to maintain an apparently stable population. Interspecific competition between the two species appeared to have been reduced. The relationship of these results to the founder effect, interdeme mixing, and rapid changes in competitive relationships is discussed.

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