Distribution among the chromosomes of Drosophila pseudoobscura of the genes governing the response to light.

Most strains of Drosophila pseudoobscura are neutral to light when tested in phototactic mazes. However, clear-cut photopositive and photogenative populations are obtained by selection over a series of generations. The genetic nature of the differences between the positive and negative populations has been studied in crosses in which the three large autosomes carried mutant markers. All chromosomes contain genes which influence the response to light. The third chromosome has the strongest effect, followed by the second, the X, and the fourth chromosomes. This seriation is not in proportion to the relative lengths of the chromosomes. Either the effective genes are not very numerous, or some of them exert stronger influences than others.