Sensory perception of rivals has trait-dependent effects on plasticity in Drosophila melanogaster.

ABSTRACT: The social environment has myriad effects on individuals, altering reproduction, immune function, cognition, and aging. Phenotypic plasticity enables animals to respond to heterogeneous environments such as the social environment but requires that they assess those environments accurately. It has been suggested that combinations of sensory cues allow animals to respond rapidly and accurately to changeable environments, but it is unclear whether the same sensory inputs are required in all traits that respond to a particular environmental cue. Drosophila melanogaster males, in the presence of rival males, exhibit a consistent behavioral response by extending mating duration. However, exposure to a rival also results in a reduction in their lifespan, a phenomenon interpreted as a trade

SUBMITTER: Smithson CH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11053361 | biostudies-literature | 2024 May-Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature