Chapter 20, Problem 22CONQ

Let’s suppose that a species of mosquito has two different types of simple transposons that we will call X elements and Z elements. The X elements appear quite stable. In a population of 100 mosquitoes, it is found that every mosquito has 6 X elements, and they are always located in the same chromosomal locations among different individuals. In contrast, the Z elements seem to move around quite a bit. Within the same 100 mosquitoes, the number of Z elements ranges from 2 to 14, and the locations of the Z elements tend to vary considerably among different individuals. Explain how one simple transposon can be stable and another simple transposon can be mobile, within the same group of individuals.