Scientists Achieve First “Behavior Transplant” Between Species

Scientists Achieve First “Behavior Transplant” Between Species
——————————
In a groundbreaking study, scientists have successfully transferred a complex courtship behavior from one species of fruit fly to another by manipulating a single gene, New Atlas reported. The research, published in the journal Science, marks the first time a completely unknown behavior has been genetically swapped between different animals.

Researchers at Nagoya University found that by “switching on” the Fruitless (Fru) gene in the insulin-producing neurons of a singing fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster), they could alter its neural circuitry. This manipulation caused the flies, which normally court by singing, to instead perform the “gift-giving” behavior of a different species, Drosophila subobscura. This behavior, involving the male regurgitating food for the female, is believed to have been lost in the singing species millions of years ago.

The study provides evidence that some animals may carry hidden, evolutionarily dormant behaviors in their neural architecture. The researchers suggest that the evolution of new behaviors does not always require the emergence of new neurons but can be achieved through small-scale genetic rewiring in a few pre-existing neurons.

While the research was conducted on fruit flies, which share around 60% of their genetic makeup with humans, it offers insights into how a single gene can redesign behavior at a species level. The findings hint that some behaviors might be dormant in human biology, waiting for the right molecular “switch” to be activated.