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Associative learning of Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract

THROUGH the work of Benzer1,2, attention has been focussed on behavioural studies of Drosophila melanogaster and the possibilities of a genetic approach to the investigation of nervous systems. For example, experiments on phototaxis1 and optomotor response3,4 have made possible the selection of behavioural mutants in which relectrophysiologica5,6 and neuro-anatomical7 correlates could be established. With the analysis of the mechanism of information storage and (or) learning as our ultimate goal, we have attempted to demonstrate associative learning with respect to optical stimuli in Drosophila. Here we report our first successful experiments.

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SPATZ, H., EMANNS, A. & REICHERT, H. Associative learning of Drosophila melanogaster. Nature 248, 359–361 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1038/248359a0

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