At Last, a Breed of Fruit Flies That Can Count Up to Four
Evolution, as ever, hard at work Geneticists in Canada have finally succeeded in an experiment that lasted for 40 generations. Generations of fruit flies, I mean. The flies were kept in containers, and lights were repeatedly flashed on them. When the number of flashes was two or four, the container was given a shake. At that point, if you're a creature that can count, you'd start hunkering down for a shake when you counted that the even-numbered flash was coming up. The flies didn't do this -- not until they had evolved to learn how, which took 40 generations. The researchers, from Ontario's Wilfrid Laurier University and the U. of California, say that this may shed light on the genetic factors influencing human mathematical ability. Personally, I'd think breeding numerate flies would be enough of an end in itself. [Wired UK] ...
Source: PopSci.com - Science - Friday, 13 July, 2012
Related articles:
- Less than a few days ago
- 2Vote! Parasitic wasps suck calcium out of flies
Futurity.org - 3 days ago
- Less than a week ago
- 4Vote! Parasitic wasps use calcium pump to block fruit fly immunity
PhysOrg - 5 days ago
- Older News
- 2Vote! Catalyst keeps fruit fresh longer
- 8Vote! Research reveals consequences of a lifetime of sexual competition
LabSpaces - Thursday, 2 May
- 1Vote! Study reveals consequences of a lifetime of sexual competition
- 6Vote! Biogeographic barrier that protects Australia from avian flu does not stop Nipah virus
- 4Vote! Scientist identifies protein molecule used to maintain adult stem cells in fruit flies
- 7Vote! Pass The Prozac: Fruit Flies Get Depressed, Too
PopSci.com - Science - Tuesday, 23 April
- 5Vote! UCSB scientist identifies protein molecule used to maintain adult stem cells in fruit flies
e! Science News - Tuesday, 23 April
- 4Vote! Researchers abuzz over caffeine as cancer-cell killer
- 7Vote! Drunk Fruit Flies! Lots of Animals Self-Medicate
Yahoo Science News - Thursday, 11 April
- 6Vote! Botanists in the rainforest: Chimpanzees use botanical skills to discover fruit
- 3Vote! Healing by the clock: In fruit flies, intestinal stem-cell regeneration fluctuates with the time of day
- 4Vote! An Illustrated Tour Of Australia's Museum of Copulatory Organs
- 5Vote! Chimpanzees use botanical skills to discover fruit
- 3Vote! Delivering a virus that gets rid of house flies
- 4Vote! Flies with personality
- 18Vote! How to Count Komodo Dragons
- 10Vote! Fruit flies fed organic diets are healthier than flies fed nonorganic diets, study finds
- 14Vote! Sauna Visits May Lower Sperm Count
