I have written this article as my Master Project for the Master Ecology and Evolution at the University of Groningen in 2010. You can download the PDF below.

Abstract of “Sex ratio distorters in European Nasonia  vitripennis populations”

Sex ratio distorters are found in many organisms, including in the jewel wasp Nasonia vitripennis. Although this species is cosmopolitan, all four known sex ratio distorters in this species have exclusively been found in North America. These sex ratio distorters are PSR, MSR, Wolbachina-induced cytoplasmic incompatibility and Son Killer. In this study, European N. vitripennis populations are systematically screened for sex ratio distorters. Populations in Germany are found to display sex ratios similar to the sex ratios induced by the MSR sex ratio distorter. There is no indication that one of the other sex ratio distorters occur in Europe. Deviant sex ratios that were found in this study could be caused by interaction between field and laboratory genetic components or by some unknown novel sex ratio distorter

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You can download the PDF here for free: Gaining insight in the sex determination mechanism of the parasitoid wasp Nasonia vitripennis.

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