Divergent Evolutionary Pressures Shape Olfactory Sensitivity of the Maxillary Palps in Tephritidae Fruit Flies.

ABSTRACT: Olfaction is a rapidly evolving sense. Given its diverse functions, from finding ecological niches to selection of mates, we hypothesized that olfaction is subjected to divergent evolutionary pressures. We compared the olfactory sensitivity of five species of Tephritidae fruit flies to two broad classes of volatiles: general niche-related volatiles (food and fruit odors) and volatiles used in sexual communication (pheromones and "parapheromones"). We then analyzed whether the differential sensitivities across species harbor "signals" of such contrasting evolutionary pressures. As recent studies highlight the maxillary palps as key auxiliary olfactory organs for detecting both classes of volatiles, we focused our sensory analysis on this auxiliary olfactory organ. Using gas chromatography c

SUBMITTER: Fennine C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12519527 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature