A map of a fruit fly’s brain could help us understand our own
A miracle of complexity, powered by rotting fruit
FOR BILLIONS of years, life was single-celled and boring. Even when it became multicellular and more interesting, it took the evolution of brains, and subsequent competition between them via the animal bodies they inhabited, to create the biodiversity that exists today. Greater complexity caused by brain-on-brain competition permitted better processing of information from special organs for vision, hearing, smell, taste and touch. This made for more cunning predators, more elusive prey and more demanding sexual partners. It also (because much physiology is regulated by the brain) allowed larger and more sophisticated bodies to evolve.
Explore more
This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “Know a fly, know thyself?”
From the October 5th 2024 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from Leaders
How to improve clinical trials
Involving more participants can lead to new medical insights
Houthi Inc: the pirates who weaponised globalisation
Their Red Sea protection racket is a disturbing glimpse into an anarchic world
Donald Trump will upend 80 years of American foreign policy
A superpower’s approach to the world is about to be turned on its head
Rising bond yields should spur governments to go for growth
The bond sell-off may partly reflect America’s productivity boom
Much of the damage from the LA fires could have been averted
The lesson of the tragedy is that better incentives will keep people safe
Health warnings about alcohol give only half the story
Enjoyment matters as well as risk