Multimedia Gallery
Fruit flies produce offspring with greater genetic variability (Image 1)
In a recent study, researchers discovered that when infected by parasites or bacteria, the offspring of ebony rough (left) and wild type (right) fruit flies produce a more genetically diverse progeny.
The study, which was conducted by researchers at North Carolina (NC) State University and Reed College, shows when fruit flies are attacked by parasites or bacteria, they respond by producing offspring with greater genetic variability. This extra genetic variability may give the offspring an increased chance of survival when faced with the same pathogens. These findings demonstrate that parents may purposefully alter the genotypes of their offspring.
[Research supported in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation (grant IOS 12-57469).]
To learn more, see the NC State news story When Fruit Flies Get Sick, Their Offspring Become More Diverse. (Date image taken: August 2015; date originally posted to NSF Multimedia Gallery: Nov. 3, 2015) [Image 1 of 2 related images. See Image 2.]
Credit: Dahlia Nielsen, NC State University
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