Data from: Evidence for canalization of Distal-less function in the leg of Drosophila melanogaster

A considerable body of theory pertaining to the evolution of canalization
has emerged recently, yet there have been few empirical investigations of
their predictions. To address this, patterns of canalization and trait
correlation were investigated under the individual and joint effects of
the introgression of a loss-of-function allele of the Distal-less gene and
high-temperature stress on a panel of iso-female lines. Variation was
examined for number of sex comb teeth and the length of the basi-tarsus on
the pro-thoracic leg of male Drosophila melanogaster. I demonstrate that
whereas there is evidence for trait canalization, there is no evidence to
support the hypothesis of the evolution of genetic canalization as a
response to microenvironmental canalization. Furthermore, I demonstrate
that although there are genetic correlations between these traits, there
is no association between their measures of canalization. I discuss the
prospects of the evolutionary lability of the Distal-less gene within the
context of changes in genetic variation and covariation.