Macho Flies
So, I’ll have to admit that I never really thought about what flies are doing when they buzz around my house, sometimes rolling around on the table clasping each other like lovers going down on the Titanic. I guess I just assumed that they were after my food, having sex, or laying eggs somewhere. Never did the idea of territoriality come into my mind. Why would flies be territorial?
Well, it turns out that male fruit flies can be quite territorial, and that this territoriality for resources like food and women is probably genetically determined. Researchers recently assayed the genes of non-aggressive and extremely aggressive fruit flies and found that a gene called Cyp6a20 was highly correlated with aggression. Those flies with mutations in the gene were the most combative in territorial situations created by the scientists. No one knows exactly what the gene does yet, but it is interesting to note possible genetic contenders that might underlie behavior.
Here is a video of fighting flies (I can’t believe I always thought they were having sex!).
Filed under Esoterica | Comment (0)Leave a Reply
