Geographical differentiation of allozymic variability in natural Indian populations of Drosophila melanogaster.

Fourteen Indian populations of D. melanogaster collected along a 22 degrees latitudinal range were analyzed electrophoretically to compare the geographical patterns of allozymic variation at 13 loci. The data show higher genetic differentiation on the basis of moderate to higher FST values and significant statistical correlation of allelic frequencies at six polymorphic loci with latitude. The results add support to the hypothesis that the occurrence of parallel or complementary latitudinal clines across different continental populations provides evidence of natural selection maintaining such clinal variation.