Data from: A resource on latitudinal and altitudinal clines of ecologically relevant phenotypes of the Indian Drosophila

The unique geography of the Indian subcontinent has provided diverse natural environments for a variety of organisms. In this region, many ecological indices such as temperature and humidity vary predictably as a function of both latitude and altitude; these environmental parameters significantly affect fundamental dynamics of natural populations. Indian drosophilids are diverse in their geographic distribution and climate tolerance, possibly as a result of climatic adaptation. These associations with environmental parameters are further reflected in a large number of clines that have been reported for various fitness traits along these geographical ranges. This unique amalgamation of environmental variability and genetic diversity make the subcontinent an ecological laboratory for studying evolution in action. We assembled data collected over the last 20 years on the geographical clines for various phenotypic traits in several species of drosophilids and present a web-resource on Indian-Drosophila (www.indian-drosophila.org). The clinal data on ecologically relevant phenotypes of Indian drosophilids will be useful in addressing questions related to future challenges in biodiversity and ecosystems in this region.印度次大陆独特的地理特征，为多样生物类群造就了丰富多元的自然生境。该区域内，温度、湿度等多项生态指标随纬度与海拔呈可预测的梯度变化；这些环境参数对自然种群的基本动态具有显著影响。印度果蝇类群（Drosophilidae）的地理分布与气候耐受性均呈现丰富多样性，这可能是其气候适应的结果。这类与环境参数的关联，进一步体现在诸多已报道的渐变群中——这些渐变群记录了该地理分布范围内各类适合度性状的梯度变化。这种环境异质性与遗传多样性的独特结合，使印度次大陆成为研究演化动态的天然生态实验室。我们整合了近20年来采集的、针对多种果蝇科物种各类表型性状地理渐变群的相关数据，并搭建了印度果蝇研究网络资源平台（www.indian-drosophila.org）。印度果蝇类群生态相关表型的渐变群数据，将为解决该区域生物多样性与生态系统未来面临的挑战提供重要研究支撑。