Fruit flies use hard logic to select a partner
Fruit flies, the small insects that swarm through our kitchens in the summer months, show rational decision-making when selecting partners, according to research published in Nature Communications .
The researchers observed approximately 2700 times different 'fruit fly pair combinations'.
They were surprised to discover that male flies almost always picked out the female fly that could produce the most offspring.
zoologist Devin Arbuthnott, University of British ColumbiaThe cognitive process of making rational choices is something we thought was unique to humans. Although it is largely unknown whether animals are able to make rational choices, this study is the first evidence that #fruitvliegjes can do this and do it too.”
The researchers found that the fruit flies made consistent choices because flies select partners based on a linear hierarchy.
