Towards a genetic architecture of cryptic genetic variation and genetic assimilation: the contribution of

Clearly spurred on by Waddington, Bateman (1959) continued the work on the crossveinless phenocopy in Drosophila melanogaster and helped to establish it as a model system in quantitative genetics for threshold traits. In this commentary, I will discuss the context of this work examining the genetic architecture of the crossveinless phenocopy both within the light of current studies of evolutionary genetics, and modern evolutionary-developmental biology. Far from being a historical curiosity, it appears that this phenotype may be a relevant and powerful model system for current studies of cryptic genetic variation and possibly for examining allelic architecture of complex diseases. I will discuss what future research directions will allow for this possibility.