Individual Fly Behavior in Drosophila Lines Selected for Extreme Geotaxis Response
Location
CSU Ballroom
Start Date
28-4-2009 10:00 AM
End Date
28-4-2009 12:00 PM
Student's Major
Biological Sciences
Student's College
Science, Engineering and Technology
Mentor's Name
Daniel P. Toma
Mentor's Department
Biological Sciences
Mentor's College
Science, Engineering and Technology
Description
How do parts contribute to the whole of the organism? And is the whole greater than its parts? Fifty years ago. Dr. Jerry Hirsch began a series of now famous experiments to ask these types of questions regarding behavior. How do certain parts - the genes - contribute to complex behavior in animals? By breeding populations of flies walking up (away from gravity: negative geotaxis) and those that walked down (toward gravity: positive geotaxis) in a t-choice maze, he established Hi and Lo behavioral lines of flies, respectively. Using these, he was the first to scientifically prove a genetic basis for behavior. Hirsch's flies were tested as populations, never as individuals. Therefore, we are studying individual flies, as opposed to groups, to ask 1) how does individual behavior of the selected populations differ from tm-selected flies, 2) how did individual decision making change due to selection, and 3) does individual behavior differ from its group? By studying flies based on a binary-choice paradigm, results showed long-term selection produced significant changes in the behavioral response of individual flies. Female flies of the Hi line were very predictable, while the neutral flies were totally random; there is no such thing as a truly neutral fly. All males have moderate predictability - selection appears to have principally acted through males. In addition, search behavior through the maze has been changed and it appears that the Lo line individuals differ significantly from their population in behavior. Other possible differences are presently being examined as well.
Individual Fly Behavior in Drosophila Lines Selected for Extreme Geotaxis Response
CSU Ballroom
How do parts contribute to the whole of the organism? And is the whole greater than its parts? Fifty years ago. Dr. Jerry Hirsch began a series of now famous experiments to ask these types of questions regarding behavior. How do certain parts - the genes - contribute to complex behavior in animals? By breeding populations of flies walking up (away from gravity: negative geotaxis) and those that walked down (toward gravity: positive geotaxis) in a t-choice maze, he established Hi and Lo behavioral lines of flies, respectively. Using these, he was the first to scientifically prove a genetic basis for behavior. Hirsch's flies were tested as populations, never as individuals. Therefore, we are studying individual flies, as opposed to groups, to ask 1) how does individual behavior of the selected populations differ from tm-selected flies, 2) how did individual decision making change due to selection, and 3) does individual behavior differ from its group? By studying flies based on a binary-choice paradigm, results showed long-term selection produced significant changes in the behavioral response of individual flies. Female flies of the Hi line were very predictable, while the neutral flies were totally random; there is no such thing as a truly neutral fly. All males have moderate predictability - selection appears to have principally acted through males. In addition, search behavior through the maze has been changed and it appears that the Lo line individuals differ significantly from their population in behavior. Other possible differences are presently being examined as well.
Recommended Citation
Wreh, Elijah; Justin Perlich; and Chad Taylor. "Individual Fly Behavior in Drosophila Lines Selected for Extreme Geotaxis Response." Undergraduate Research Symposium, Mankato, MN, April 28, 2009.
https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/urs/2009/poster-session-C/34
