Laven et al. 1972

Citation

Laven, H., Cousserans, J., & Guille, G. (1972). Eradicating mosquitoes using translocations: a first field experiment. Nature, 236(5348), 456.

Links

• https://www.nature.com/articles/236456a0
• http://hawaiireedlab.com/pdf/l/lavenetal1972.pdf (internal lab link only)

Published Abstract

Theoretical considerations have led to the assumption that chromosomal translocations with ensuing semisterility could be used to control pests^1–3. Inversions could have the same effect in animals and plants in which crossing over occurs in both sexes⁴. Many translocations of different type and with various degrees of sterility have been produced in the mosquito Culex pipiens^5–8. Preliminary laboratory experiments with these translocations have shown that a cage population can be diminished and finally exterminated after a few generations by the release of translocation heterozygotes into the population⁹.

Notes

It fascinates me that mosquitoes carrying a translocation were released in order to test if the population could be suppressed in Montpellier, France, in the early 1970s.