A qualitative analysis of some life-history correlates of longevity in Drosophila melanogaster

Three likely traits were examined for their possible connection with increased life span in strains of Drosophila melanogaster selected for longevity. First, pairing with males caused a substantial reduction in survival of females from the short-lived control strain but, long-lived females were relatively unaffected. A significant component of the improvement in selected females is, therefore, increased tolerance to the presence of mates. Females only slightly affected male survival in either long- or short-lived populations. Selected strains survive substantially better than controls independently of any effect of mate presence. The (dry) weight of whole flies is equivalent in long- and short-lived populations. Variation in body size does not appear to contribute significantly to extended longevity here. A third character, the duration of tethered flight, was found to be from three to five times greater in long-lived populations than controls. This suggests the existence of a common physiological basis of longevity to which multiple components contribute in adaptive improvement. © 1988 Chapman and Hall Ltd.