Visual circuitry for distance estimation in Drosophila.

ABSTRACT: Animals must infer the three-dimensional structure of their environment from two-dimensional retinal images. They use visual cues like motion parallax and binocular disparity to judge distances to objects, and studies across several animal models have found and characterized neural signals that correlate with visual distance. However, the causal role of these neurons in distance estimation and the range of their possible neural properties remain poorly understood. Here, we show that both directional and non-directional feature-selective neurons in the Drosophila visual system are involved in estimating distance during free locomotion. We used a high-throughput behavioral assay to perform a targeted silencing screen of visual neurons, and we subsequently characterized distance tuning using

SUBMITTER: Shomar JW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12652897 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature