BioConcepts

heterozygote advantageHeterozygotenvorteil (ger.)

• The situation where the heterozygote has a greater fitness than either homozygote. (Oxford Dict. of Genetics 2007)
  category heredity

  1930

  [heterozygote, superiority of

  Fisher, R.A. (1930). The Genetical Theory of Natural Selection: 270 (Register); cf. 100.]

  1948

  [Dobzhansky (1947) […] obtained evidence that the equilibria obtained were actually the result of heterozygote superiority during the larval stage

  Wallace, B. (1948). Studies on ‘sex-ratio’ in Drosophila pseudoobscura, I. Selection and ‘sex-ratio’. Evolution 2, 189-217: 215.]

  1949

  large numbers of genes with relatively small individual effects exhibit heterozygote advantage.

  Dickerson, G.E. (1949). Importance of heterosis for total performance in animals. Proceedings of the Ninth International Congress of Genetics, 560; id. (1949). Importance of heterosis for total performance in animals. Animal Breeding Abstracts 17, 323; cf. id. (1952). Inbred lines for heterosis tests? In: Gowen, J.W. (ed.). Heterosis. A Record of Researches Directed Toward Explaining and Utilizing the Vigor of Hybrids (Reprint New York 1964), 330-351: 335; 340; 351.

  1955

  A morphic balance-mechanism must be strong enough to prevent the break-up of the morphism through the disappearance of any morph under adverse selection in periods exceptionally unfavourable to it. This is usually accomplished by means of heterosis (heterozygote advantage).

  Huxley, J.S. (1955). Heterosis and morphism. Proc. Roy. Soc. Lond. B. 144, 215-217: 215-6.