Dorsa Motevalli

Abstract How natural regulatory genetic variation creates innate biases in economic decisions through modifying circuit structure and function is rarely explored. Here, we trace this link in a simple value-based decision in Drosophila: where to oviposit. Although laboratory flies (w1118) reject sucrose for a plain option, a wild-caught African strain accepts sucrose. This decision difference maps to three African-specific intronic SNPs in pumilio (pum), an RNA binding translational repressor.

Abstract The ability to return to memorized goal locations is essential for animal survival. While it is well documented that animals use visual landmarks to locate goals, how they navigate spatial learning tasks in environments lacking such landmarks remains poorly understood.