Social structures depend on innate determinants and chemosensory processing in Drosophila.

ABSTRACT: Flies display transient social interactions in groups. However, whether fly-fly interactions are stochastic or structured remains unknown. We hypothesized that groups of flies exhibit patterns of social dynamics that would manifest as nonrandom social interaction networks. To test this, we applied a machine vision system to track the position and orientation of flies in an arena and designed a classifier to detect interactions between pairs of flies. We show that the vinegar fly, Drosophila melanogaster, forms nonrandom social interaction networks, distinct from virtual network controls (constructed from the intersections of individual locomotor trajectories). In addition, the formation of interaction networks depends on chemosensory cues. Gustatory mutants form networks that cannot be dis

SUBMITTER: Schneider J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3477376 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature