Jilted Fruit Flies Take Solace in Booze
Valuable research funds were put to use to determine how male fruit flies react to being rejected by females and deprived of sex. Researchers put one group of male flies with virgin female flies and another group of males in a container with females who had already had sex. Females who had already copulated automatically rejected further advances from other males. After their encounters, the males were put in a container with the choice of plain liquid food and liquid food mixed with alcohol. The study conducted at the University of California (San Francisco) found a reduction in a neuropeptide in the fruit fly’s brain because of a lack of sex leads to higher consumption of the liquid food with alcohol. The sex-starved flies consoled themselves by getting drunk and eventually passing out. Sound familiar?
