Climate change: Scientists discover differences in the way forest and desert flies process external temperature

Climate change: Scientists discover differences in the way forest and desert flies process external temperature

Tiny, cold-blooded animals like flies depend on their environment to regulate body temperature, making them ideal "canaries in the mine" for gauging the impact of climate change on the behavior and distribution of animal species. Yet, scientists know relatively little about how insects sense and respond to temperature.

Evolution of temperature preference in flies of the genus Drosophila

The preference for a particular thermal range is a key determinant of the distribution of animal species. However, we know little on how temperature preference behaviour evolves during the colonization of new environments. Here we show that at least two distinct neurobiological mechanisms drive the evolution of temperature preference in flies of the genus Drosophila. Fly species from mild climates (D. melanogaster and D. persimilis) avoid both i…

What we can learn from how flies set the thermostat

Using two species of flies from different climates — one from the cool, high-altitude forests of Northern California, the other hailing from the hot, dry deserts of the Southwest — Northwestern scientists discovered remarkable differences in the way each processes external temperature.