Permalink : http://hdl.handle.net/2115/45189

Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) or subtle differences between left and right sides of a trait has been considered as an indicator of an organism's ability to cope with genetic and environmental stresses during development. It is considered to play an important role in mate choice. However, over four decades of work on various organisms such as insects, reptiles, birds and mammals has left the field with no clear-cut relationship between increased fluctuating asymmetry and stress due to inconsistency in the results. Despite this, fluctuating asymmetry is still assumed to indicate developmental instability caused by various perturbations (either genetic and/or environmental in origin) during development. The present article provides a unified framework for the better understanding of fluctuating asymmetry and its association with stress in particular reference to Drosophila.