Humans choose their mates based on preferences like personality, chemistry and looks. A new study shows that fruit flies choose their mates based on the bacteria that lives in and on it. According to the study, fruit flies prefer mates who share a similar diet rather than flies that eat other things. This observation was first made 20 years ago when a fruit fly researcher noticed that when two populations of fruit flies were split up, the flies tend to choose mates with similar diets.
Research shows that different bacteria are present in different foods, therefore causing fruit flies to give off different pheromones created by the bacteria. Two fruit flies from two different populations with different diets were put together to see which mates the female flies would choose. The female flies chose the mate that had the similar diet the majority of the time. When introduced to a antibiotic that masks the pheromones, the females evenly chose males regardless of their diet. Researchers also think that this will lead to sympatric speciation of the fruit flies when the bacteria alters the pheromones produced, leading to differential selection of males.
Does this form of selection overlap with other selection pressures like body size or mating calls? Does this type of selection apply to all species of fruit flies?
Kevin Tse
Wow, I had no idea that fruit flies selected their mates based on their diets. What benefits, if any, are there when choosing mates that share a similar diet?
ReplyDeleteAbbie Lamarre-DeJesus
That’s really odd! I also cannot understand the benefits of choosing a mate with the same diet. Are fruit flies very particular when it comes to food? If so, then they may only be familiar with the bacteria present in their own food source. As a result, they can only recognize that a potential mate is well-fed and healthy if he or she eats the same food.
ReplyDeletePosted by Katie Kalutkiewicz
Do you think it's possible that this would be some form of protection against bacteria that may be dangerous to a fruit fly? A fruit fly may stick to choosing another fruit fly with the same diet because it has proven to be safe to them. I liked this post! It was completely new and surprising information to me! Thanks!
ReplyDeletePosted by Shyla Morsbach