WIKIMEDIA, THEALPHAWOLF
Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), have discovered a chemoreceptor called Gr32a on the forelegs of male fruit flies that sense whether female flies are of the same of different species. According to a paper published online Thursday (June 27) in Cell, male fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) approach prospective mates and repeatedly tap them on the side with their forelegs, attempting to detect unpleasant-tasting waxy chemicals on the females’ skin.
“In nature, this sensory system would prevent the creation of hybrids that may not survive or cannot propagate, thereby helping the species preserve its identity,” said UCSF anatomist and senior author Nirao Shah in a statement.
“If the prospective mate is not of the same species, and Gr32a is activated, the mating ...
