Author Archives: Igor Mitreski

Neanderthals were prolific in exploiting straight-tusked elephants, say archaeologists

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Archaeologists from MONREPOS, the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, and the University of Leiden recently discovered that straight-tusked elephants were hunted some 125,000 years ago (Paleoloxodon Antique) was the largest land mammal of the Pleistocene and was part of the behavioral repertoire of Neanderthals for dozens of generations. This knowledge is based on data from only one of his locations, a northern European lakeside. In a new paper, the researchers present data from two other contemporary sites on the Nordic plains, where they demonstrate that elephant exploitation was a widespread phenomenon. The vast amounts of food produced by slaughter operations aimed at large-scale exploitation of carcasses suggest that Neanderthals were somehow preserving food or, at least temporarily, working in larger groups than is generally acknowledged. This suggests that it was active.

Reconstructed living appearance of a straight-tusked elephant (Paleoloxodon Antique) Side view (top) and front view (bottom) based on remains excavated from the Neumark Nord 1 site in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Image credit: Su Shuyu.

“125,000 years ago, Neanderthals hunted and slaughtered straight-tusked elephants, the largest land mammals of the Pleistocene, in the lake landscapes of the Nordic plains,” said lead author Sabine Gaudzinski-Windho. Professor Iser and colleagues said.

“The data from this site is so far unique in the archaeological record, with evidence highlighting adult males and their widespread use.”

“Given its relevance to our knowledge of the Neanderthal niche, we wonder if Neumark Nord subsistence practices were more than just a local phenomenon, and perhaps determined by local features. I investigated.”

In the new study, scientists analyzed the remains of straight-tusked elephants from two other archaeological sites on the Nordic plains, Grebern and Taubach.

They identified slaughter patterns in both populations similar to the Neumark Nord site.

“The results of the examination of the Greyburn and Taubach bones indicate that the hunting of these elephants by Neanderthals was not an isolated phenomenon and must have been a more regular activity,” Gaudzinski-Windho said. Professor Iser said.

Reconstruction of Lake Schöningen shore when humans discovered the carcass of a straight-legged elephant. Image credit: Benoit Clarys.

Straight-tusked elephants were the largest land mammals of the Pleistocene and lived in Europe and western Asia from 800,000 to 100,000 years ago.

These animals had very broad heads and very long tusks, making them approximately three times larger than modern Asian elephants, twice as large as African elephants, and much larger than woolly mammoths.

Maximum shoulder height is estimated to be 3–4.2 m (10–14 ft) for females and males, respectively, and weight between 4.5 and 13 tons.

“The meat and fat provided by the adult body are Paleoloxodon Antique “The bull would have been enough to meet the daily caloric intake of at least 2,500 adult Neanderthals,” said Professor Gaudzinski-Windhauser.

“This is an important number because it provides us with new insights into Neanderthal behavior.”

“For example, previous research generally assumed that Neanderthals lived in groups of 20 or fewer.”

“However, the information we currently have about the systematic exploitation of straight-breasted elephants suggests that Neanderthals may have gathered, at least temporarily, in larger groups, or that they had developed techniques that allowed them to preserve and store large amounts of food. This suggests that he must have done both.”

“Follow-up projects will explore how Neanderthals hunted these giant elephants and how their hunting activities affected these and other prey animals and their environments. I would like to learn more about this.”

of the team paper Published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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Sabine Gaudzinski-Windhauser other. 2023. Extensive evidence of Neanderthal exploitation of elephants during the last interglacial period on the Nordic plains. PNAS 120 (50): e2309427120; doi: 10.1073/pnas.2309427120

Source: www.sci.news

The competition between US and China for dominance in EV battery technology escalates

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Semiconductors have become a focus of U.S. efforts to thwart China’s technological advances in recent years. Washington is now turning its attention to another hot technology area where China is making significant progress: electric vehicle batteries.

Earlier this month, the Treasury and Energy Departments was suggested Joe Biden approved a rule last year that would limit electric vehicle buyers from claiming tax credits if their cars contain battery materials from China or other countries deemed “hostile” to the United States. Under the president’s flagship climate change law, consumers are entitled to up to $7,500 in subsidies for electric vehicles. Purchasing EVs manufactured in the U.S. using primarily domestic materials.

In response, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce counterattacked Last week, it said the U.S. rules “discriminate against Chinese companies and violate WTO rules.” Excluding Chinese suppliers from U.S. tax incentives is “typical of non-market-oriented policies and practices,” the department said.

The rule, aimed at reducing U.S. dependence on Chinese supply chains in a new era of decoupling, comes as part of the president’s plan to cut global warming greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030. This is likely to hinder Biden’s efforts to boost sales of EVs.

Also at stake is America’s aim to curb China’s dominance in a field that is booming as countries transition to electric vehicles. China’s two largest battery manufacturers, CATL and BYD, together accounted for about 53% of global EV battery usage in the first 10 months of this year, according to data from China. SNE Research.

According to the research firm, as of the third quarter of this year, China was the world’s largest EV market with a 58% share, followed by the United States and Germany. counterpoint.

Major South Korean companies such as LG, Samsung, and SK On offer competitive alternatives to China’s cheap and advanced batteries and are most likely to benefit from deteriorating US-China relations. . But even the South Korean company is reeling from new geopolitical complications.

Even though SK-on has been approached by both Ford and Hyundai to launch battery projects in the United States, Choi Tae-won, president of parent company SK Group, recently said, blamed The US keeps battery costs high. The artillery division of South Korean conglomerates is now forced to look elsewhere for materials outside of China.China Owns the majority of the global supply chain for EV batteriesfrom mining rare minerals to refining and cell production.

To maintain cost appeal, Chinese battery companies are setting up factories in the U.S. and requiring buyers to continue to qualify for the EV tax credit. Industry giants like Gotion, BYD, and CATL have strategic plans to manufacture in the United States, but the path is not without obstacles. Ford, for example, suspended plans to build a $3.5 billion EV battery factory with CATL in Michigan as U.S. politicians scrutinize its contract with the Chinese company.

Source: techcrunch.com

Study finds honeyguide birds have the ability to recognize distinct audio signals to assist humans in locating beehives

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Greater Honey Guide (indicator indicator)It is a type of African bird. well known To attract other species to the hive. They have even been known to collaborate with ratels, but their closest and most successful collaborators are humans. Several indigenous groups in Africa work with these birds throughout their range. Observing these interactions in Tanzania and Mozambique, scientists showed that honey guides were more responsive to the specific calls of their local honey-hunting partners compared to the calls of honey hunters in other regions. Ta. Honey guides therefore appear to learn the calls of their local partners, and honey hunters maintain these successful calls for generations.

Spottiswood and Wood experimentally showed that honeyguides in Tanzania and Mozambique distinguish between the calls of honeyhunters and are more likely to respond to local calls than to foreign calls. Image credit: Brian Wood.

The animal kingdom is full of interactions between species, but systems in which humans can successfully cooperate with wild animals are rare.

One such relationship involves the greater honeyguide, a small African bird known for guiding humans to wild bee hives.

Humans open the hive to collect honey, and bees eat the exposed beeswax.

Human honey hunters in different parts of Africa may use specialized and culturally distinct calls to signal their search for a honey guide partner and to maintain cooperation while following guided birds. It happens often.

For example, the honey hunters of the Yao culture group in northern Mozambique use a loud trill followed by a grunt (“brrr-hm”).

In contrast, the Honey Hunters of the Hadza cultural group of northern Tanzania use melodic flutes.

These successful calls have been maintained in these groups for generations.

In a series of field experiments across these disciplines, Dr. Claire Spottiswood of the University of Cambridge and the University of Cape Town, and Dr. Brian Wood of the University of California, Los Angeles and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, found that the ecology of honeyguides is We investigated whether it is good or not. They tend to respond more to the signals of their local human culture than to signals from another culture or any human sounds.

The authors found that honeyguides in the Yao region were more than three times more likely to initiate an induced response to honeyguides. Yao’s unique cry than Hadza’s whistle.

Conversely, honey guides in the Hadza region were more than three times more likely to respond to Hadza whistles than to Yao bloom sounds.

“It’s such a privilege to witness the collaboration between people and honeyguides, especially the birds that come looking for us,” Dr Spottiswoode said.

“Their calls sound exactly like a conversation between a bird and a bee as they travel together towards the beehive.”

According to the authors, the geographic variation and coordination between signals and responses observed in this behavioral system suggests that cultural coevolution has occurred between honeyguides and humans.

“What’s remarkable about the relationship between honey guides and humans is that interactions with humans involve free-living wild animals that have probably evolved through hundreds of thousands of years of natural selection,” Dr. Spottiswood said.

“Through learning, this ancient and evolved behavior was refined to fit local cultural traditions, or different human calls.”

“Our research demonstrates the ability of this bird to learn unique vocal signals traditionally used by various honey-hunting communities, opening up possibilities for mutually beneficial cooperation with people.” ,” Dr. Wood said.

Regarding this research, paper in a diary science.

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Claire N. Spottiswood and Brian M. Wood. 2023. Culturally determined interspecies communication between humans and honey guides. science 382 (6675): 1155-1158; doi: 10.1126/science.adh4129

Source: www.sci.news

Scientists at Stanford University identify shared genetic factor that offers protection against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases

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Stanford Medicine and international collaborators have discovered that around 20% of individuals carry genetic mutations that reduce their risk of Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease by 10% or more. This particular variant, known as DR4, has the potential to enhance future vaccines for these neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, the study found a potential link between the tau protein and both diseases, providing new possibilities for targeted therapies and vaccines.

The large-scale analysis included medical and genetic information from a wide range of individuals across different continents. This data analysis revealed that certain gene variants related to immune function are associated with a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Approximately one in five people possess a specific genetic mutation that provides resistance to both diseases.

The research, led by Stanford Medicine, indicates that individuals with this protective genetic mutation may be less likely to benefit from future vaccines aimed at slowing or stopping the progression of these common neurodegenerative diseases. Results from the analysis of medical and genetic data from hundreds of thousands of people from diverse backgrounds confirmed that carrying the DR4 allele increased the average chance of developing Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s disease by more than 10%. New evidence has also surfaced suggesting that the tau protein, which is known for aggregating in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, may also play a role in the development of Parkinson’s disease.

The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was a collaboration between researchers at Stanford Medicine and international partners. The researchers involved in this study were Emmanuel Mignot, MD, Michael Gracius, MD, Iqbal Farooq, and Asad Jamal from Stanford Medicine, as well as Dr. Jean-Charles Lambert from Inserm, University of Lille, France. The lead author was Yan Le Nguyen, Ph.D., and other contributors included Dr. Guo Luo, Dr. Aditya Ambati, and Dr. Vincent Damot.

Further findings from the study showed that individuals with the DR4 allele were more likely to develop neurofibrillary tangles, characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease, in their brains. The study also suggests that tau, a protein central to Alzheimer’s disease, may have an unknown role in Parkinson’s disease.

DR4 is a particular allele of the DRB1 gene, which is a part of the human lymphocyte antigen complex. This complex is crucial in allowing the immune system to recognize the internal contents of cells. One of the significant findings of this study was that the specific peptide fragment that DR4 recognizes and presents is a chemically modified segment of the tau protein, which plays a role in both diseases. The study suggests that the DR4 allele could be used to create a vaccine targeting this modified peptide as a potential way to interfere with tau aggregation and the development of these neurodegenerative diseases. There may be potential to delay or slow the progression of the diseases in individuals who carry the protective variants of DR4.

The study also noted that the effectiveness of the vaccine may depend on the subtype of DR4 a person carries, which varies among different ethnic groups. For example, one subtype of DR4 that is more common among East Asians may be less protective against neurodegenerative diseases.

Source: scitechdaily.com

Elon Musk reinstates Alex Jones and Infowars on X platform following user poll

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Elon Musk has restored the X account of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and his media site Infowars. Jones and his Infowars X account were “permanently banned” from Twitter by his former management in 2018 for posting abusive content and violating the platform’s rules.

On December 9th, Musk ran a user survey on X asking whether it would be appropriate to bring Alex Jones back to the platform. Nearly 2 million people voted, and about 70% said Jones’ account should be restored. Hours after the poll closed, the company reactivated Jones’ account. Infowars accounts had also been restored at the time of publication.

After posting the poll, Musk agreed with users who argued that a permanent ban on his account would be “against free speech.” “It’s hard to agree with this,” Musk said.

When a user raised concerns about misinformation circulating on the platform as a result of restoring Jones’ account, Musk pointed to a community note that said parts of the program “need to be fixed.” We will respond promptly to AJ’s post.”

Jones is notorious for spreading conspiracies surrounding the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting, which killed 28 people. The conspiracy theorist was charged and had to appear in court claiming the shooting was staged.a court in connecticut ordered Jones pays $1.5 billion in damages last year.

Musk’s move comes as X struggles to retain the biggest advertisers on its platform. Prominent companies including Apple, Disney and IBM stopped advertising spending on social networks after Musk called anti-Semitic theories “actual truth.”

He later clarified and apologized for his comments, calling them “stupid.” But Tesla’s CEO wasn’t happy with people opting out of advertising on X. In a conversation with journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin at the DealBook conference, Tesla’s CEO told advertisers to “fuck off already.”

“If someone’s going to blackmail me with an ad, blackmail me with money? Fuck it,” Musk said. “Go. Shit. Yourself. Is it obvious?

He also mentioned Disney’s Bog Iger, who also spoke at the conference. In the same interview, Musk said the advertising boycott was going to “crush the company” and that those who conducted the boycott would be responsible for the company’s eventual demise.

Restoring Jones and Infowars’ accounts could raise further eyebrows and frustrate advertisers and others who monitor hate speech. In response to users, the owner of X acknowledged that while the repair could be financially detrimental to the platform, “principle is more important than money.”

After Musk took over X, he reinstated a number of controversial figures, including singer Kanye West, former US president Donald Trump, far-right influencer Andrew Tate, and right-wing scholar Jordan Peterson. I’ve let it happen.

Source: techcrunch.com

Three new young stars found in the central region of the Milky Way galaxy by astronomers

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According to some researchers, the oldest of these stars is 1.5 billion years old, while the youngest is only 100 million years old. paper Published in Astrophysics Journal Letter.

This infrared image from Hubble shows the Milky Way Core Cluster, the densest and most massive star cluster in our galaxy. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubble Heritage Team / STScI / AURA / T. Do & A. Ghez, UCLA / V. Bajaj, STScI.

The center of our Milky Way galaxy is located about 27,000 light-years away in the constellation Sagittarius and is a crowded place.

This region is so dense that it’s equivalent to a million stars crammed into the space between the Sun and Alpha Centauri, 4.3 light-years away.

This nuclear cluster surrounds Sagittarius A*, a 4.3 million solar mass black hole at the center of the galaxy.

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In general, many nuclear star clusters coexist with supermassive black holes, which are found in more than 70% of galaxies with masses greater than 100 million to 10 billion solar masses.

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“In previous work, we hypothesized that these particular stars in the middle of the Milky Way may be unusually young,” said Lund University astronomer Rebecca Forsberg.

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“Now we can confirm this. Our study shows that three of these stars are relatively young, at least as far as astronomers are concerned, ranging in age from 100 million years to about 1 billion years. We were able to determine the age.”

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“This is equivalent to the age of the Sun, which is 4.6 billion years old.”

This panorama shows the central region of the Milky Way galaxy. It builds on previous surveys by NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes, and extends Chandra’s high-energy field of view further up and down the galactic plane than previous imaging campaigns. The X-rays from Chandra are orange, green, and violet, indicating different X-ray energies. Radio data from MeerKAT is gray. Image credits: NASA / CXC / UMass / QD Wang / NRF / SARAO / MeerKAT.

In this study, Dr. Forsberg and colleagues used high-resolution data from the Keck II telescope in Hawaii. This Keck II telescope is one of the largest telescopes in the world with a 10 meter diameter mirror.

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For further verification, they measured the amount of iron, a heavy element, in the stars

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This element is important in tracking the development of galaxies. This is because astronomers’ theories about star formation and galaxy development show that the formation of heavy elements increases over time in the Universe, so younger stars contain more heavy elements.

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To determine iron levels, astronomers looked at the star’s spectrum in infrared light. Infrared light is a part of the light spectrum that can more easily illuminate dust-dense parts of the Milky Way compared to optical light.

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Researchers say there is considerable variation in iron levels.

“The very wide spread in iron levels could indicate that the innermost parts of the galaxy are incredibly heterogeneous, or unmixed,” said Dr. Brian Thorsbro, an astronomer at Lund University. Stated.

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“This is something we didn’t expect, and it tells us something not only about what the center of a galaxy looks like, but also about what the early universe looked like.”

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“Personally, I think it’s very exciting that we can now study the galactic center itself at such a detailed level,” Dr. Forsberg said.

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“While these types of measurements have been standard for observations of our own galactic disk, they have been an unattainable goal in more remote and exotic parts of the galaxy.”

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“Studies like this can teach us a lot about how our home galaxy formed and developed.”

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B. Thorsbro other. 2023. The range of old metallicities of stars in nuclear clusters is wide. APJL 958, L18; doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/ad08b1

Source: www.sci.news

Climate Change’s Impact on Deep Sea Ecosystems

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New research reveals that fire ice, or frozen methane, trapped as a solid under the oceans is at risk of melting due to climate change, potentially releasing large amounts of methane into the atmosphere. I did. Using advanced seismic imaging, the research team found that dissociated methane can travel significant distances, overturning previous assumptions about its stability.

Research shows that ocean fire ice, or frozen methane, is more likely to melt due to climate change and poses a significant threat to methane emissions into the atmosphere.

An international research team led by the University of Newcastle has discovered that when frozen methane and ice melt, the powerful greenhouse gas methane is released and travels from the deepest parts of continental slopes to the edges of underwater shelves. They also found a pocket that had traveled 25 miles (40 kilometers).

Publication in magazine natural earth scienceresearchers say this means more methane could potentially become vulnerable and released into the atmosphere as a result of climate warming.

Methane hydrate: the hidden climate change threat

Methane hydrate, also known as fire ice, is an ice-like structure containing methane buried under the ocean. Huge amounts of methane are stored in the ocean as marine methane. As the ocean warms, it melts, releasing methane, known as dissociated methane, into the ocean and atmosphere, contributing to global warming.

The researchers used advanced three-dimensional seismic imaging techniques to examine sections of hydrate that have dissociated during climate warming off the coast of Mauritania in northwest Africa. They identified specific cases where dissociated methane traveled more than 40 kilometers and was released through underwater depressions known as pockmarks during warm periods in the past.

Researchers at Newcastle University have found that frozen methane trapped on the ocean floor is more likely to melt due to climate change and could be released into the ocean.Credit: Newcastle University

Discovery and its impact

Professor Richard Davies, lead author and Vice-Chancellor for Global and Sustainability at Newcastle University, said: . Our study shows that they formed as methane released from hydrates from the deepest parts of the continental slope spewed into the ocean. Scientists previously thought these hydrates would be less susceptible to climate warming, but it turns out some are more susceptible. ”

Researchers have previously studied how changes in seafloor temperatures near continental margins affect methane release from hydrates. However, these studies mainly focused on regions where only a small fraction of the earth’s methane hydrate exists. This is one of the few studies to investigate methane emissions from the bottom of hydrate stability zones deep underwater. The results show that the methane released from the hydrate stability zone migrated a significant distance towards land.

Broader research perspective and future plans

Professor Christian Berndt, Head of the Ocean Geodynamics Research Unit at GEOMAR in Kiel, Germany, added:

“This is an important finding. Previous research efforts have focused on the shallowest part of the hydrate stability zone, because we thought this was the only part that would be susceptible to climate change.

“New data clearly shows that far greater amounts of methane can be released from ocean hydrates, and a thorough understanding of this fact is needed to better understand the role of hydrates in the climate system. need to be clarified.”

Methane is the second most common anthropogenic greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide (CO2). Methane accounts for about 16% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency figures.

The findings could play an important role in predicting and addressing methane’s impact on a changing climate.

The researchers plan to continue looking for evidence of methane vents along the margin and predict where large methane seeps may occur as the planet warms. Researchers are now planning a scientific expedition to examine the pockmarks more closely and see if they can be more closely linked to past climate warming events.

Reference: “Long-distance transport and emissions of methane from the base of the hydrate stability zone” Richard J. Davies, Jinxiu Yang, Mark T. Ireland, Christian Berndt, Miguel Ángel Morales Maqueda, Mads Huuse, December 6, 2023 , natural earth science.
DOI: 10.1038/s41561-023-01333-w

Source: scitechdaily.com

Potential Spread of Dengue Fever-Carrying Asian Tiger Mosquitoes to the UK Within Decades | Latest UK Updates

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The Asian tiger mosquito, which carries dengue fever, could be endemic in Britain by mid-century, government health experts say.

In recent years, insects have spread to most of Europe due to the warmer climate, tending to live in urban areas and feed during the day, putting people at greater risk.

They have striped bodies and are known for their ability to spread dengue fever, Zika virus, and chikungunya fever (diseases usually associated with tropical regions).

The UK Health and Safety Agency (UKHSA) fears dengue fever could be transmitted in London by 2060, and mosquitoes themselves could be widespread across the UK by the 2040s.

UKHSA entomologist Jolyon Medlock said surveillance at borders could help slow the spread of mosquitoes, and people should cover standing water and empty containers as the insects lay their eggs to keep mosquitoes away.

Professor Dame Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UKHSA, said: “What was called a tropical disease when I was trained many years ago will actually become a national household disease.”

Officials also said other food- and water-borne infections could become more common, increasing the risk of further pandemics.

The dangers of heatwaves will worsen, flooding will become more severe, and people’s mental health may be adversely affected.

Food prices could also become more volatile, as much of the food the UK imports comes from areas prone to climate impacts such as drought.

Wildfires that produce toxic smoke are also expected to occur more frequently during hotter, drier summers.

Young children, the elderly, and people with pre-existing conditions are most vulnerable to these threats.

Click to subscribe to Tom Heap’s ClimateCast wherever you get your podcasts

“In the summer of 2022, temperatures in the UK exceeded 40 degrees for the first time on record,” Dame Jenny said.

“Nearly 3,000 excess deaths were recorded during this prolonged heat wave, while many other countries have experienced extreme heat and prolonged heat waves in recent months.

“Using a high emissions scenario, health-related deaths in the UK are estimated to increase by more than 100% in the 2030s, more than 500% in the 2050s and more than 1,000% by 2070.”

read more:
What is dengue fever and how is it spread?
Doctors fear an outbreak could occur in the UK too – and here’s why

The Earth is already 1.2 degrees warmer than pre-industrial levels, and given the amount of carbon in the atmosphere, further warming is already locked in, even if emissions start to fall overnight.

This means some adaptation will be needed, alongside emissions reductions, housing improvements, flood protection and extreme heat warnings, UKHSA said.

Mrs Jenny added: ‘Climate change is an important threat to public health around the world, not only through increased mortality from extreme temperatures and weather impacts, but also through increased spread of infectious diseases and worsened earth system vulnerabilities.”

Source: news.sky.com

The origins of social behavior revealed in new research

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A new study from Cornell University reveals that the visual system, not just chemoreceptors, has a major influence on the social behavior of male fruit flies. The study found that enhanced visual input can override normal social inhibition, and suggests similar mechanisms in the human brain, particularly related to conditions such as autism and schizophrenia. It has meaning in understanding.

Drosophila males typically exhibit antisocial behavior toward other males and prefer to identify females through chemoreceptors. However, recent research by Cornell University biologists shows that the fruit fly visual system plays an important role in social interactions.

The findings provide new insights into the potential roots of a variety of human social behaviors, including those associated with conditions such as bipolar disorder and autism.

This paper recently current biology.

Visual system and social behavior

many seed Many animals use vision to regulate social behavior, but the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. In Drosophila, vision is thought to be used explicitly to detect and follow movement rather than to regulate social behavior, but researchers have found that this may not be the case. .

“In our study, hyperactivation of the visual system overcomes the inhibition produced by chemical signals emitted by male flies, telling other males, ‘Okay, I know, I’m another male, don’t interfere. ”’ said senior author Nirey Yapisi, assistant professor of neurobiology and behavior. “Surprisingly, visual enhancement in the brain somehow overrides chemosensory inhibition and attracts male flies to other males.”

Researchers found that changing GABARAP/GABA;a Receptor signaling in visual feedback neurons in the male brain influenced social inhibition in flies. When GABARAP is knocked down in the visual system, males unexpectedly exhibit increased courtship behavior towards other males.

Researchers discovered that genes similar to those in the human brain control visual neurons in fruit flies. Decreased GABA signaling in the human brain is associated with traits of social withdrawal in conditions such as autism and schizophrenia.

“Our results provide a promising avenue to investigate how these proteins regulate social behavior in the mammalian brain and their potential contribution to human mental state.” said lead author Dr. Yuta Mabuchi. ’23.

Reference: “Visual feedback neurons fine-tune Drosophila male courtship through GABA-mediated inhibition”, Yuta Mabuchi, Xinyue Cui, Lily Xie, Haein Kim, Tianxing Jiang, Nilay Yapici, September 2023 5 Day, current biology.

DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.08.034

Source: scitechdaily.com