On a fly’s wing, scientists tally evolution's winners and losses

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The courtship rituals of some species of fruit fly depend much on the attractive powers of the wing spots sported by males. The spots on fruit fly wings according to a new University of Wisconsin-Madison study have been gained and lost multiple times ...
The courtship rituals of some species of fruit fly depend much on the attractive powers of the wing spots sported by males. The spots on fruit fly wings, according to a new University of Wisconsin-Madison study, have been gained and lost multiple times in different species of fruit fly. The work shows evolution and sexual selection, one of Darwin's great ideas, at work.

A team of scientists from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have revealed the discovery of the molecular mechanisms that allow animals to switch genes on or off to gain or lose anatomical characteristics.


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All News summaries for April 20, 2006