  The cross sections of fragments produced in 140 $A$ MeV $^{40,48}$Ca + $^9$Be
and $^{58,64}$Ni + $^9$Be reactions are calculated by the statistical
abration-ablation(SAA) model and compared to the experimental results measured
at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL) at Michigan State
University. The fragment isotopic and isotonic cross section distributions of
$^{40}$Ca and $^{48}$Ca, $^{58}$Ni and $^{64}$Ni, $^{40}$Ca and $^{58}$Ni, and
$^{48}$Ca and $^{64}$Ni are compared and the isospin dependence of the
projectile fragmentation is studied. It is found that the isospin dependence
decreases and disappears in the central collisions. The shapes of the fragment
isotopic and isotonic cross section distributions are found to be very similar
for symmetric projectile nuclei. The shapes of the fragment isotopic and
isotonic distributions of different asymmetric projectiles produced in
peripheral reactions are found very similar. The similarity of the
distributions are related to the similar proton and neutron density
distributions inside the nucleus in framework of the SAA model.
