Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 20, 2026
Pleiotropy, Waardenburg Syndrome and SOX10 Gene
The foraging Gene and Its Behavioral Effects: Pleiotropy and Plasticity
Ina Anreiter1, Marla B Sokolowski1
1Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3B2, Canada;
Abstract:
The Drosophila melanogaster foraging (for) gene is a well-established example of a gene with major effects on behavior and natural variation. This gene is best known for underlying the behavioral strategies of rover and sitter foraging larvae, having been mapped and named for this phenotype. Nevertheless, in the last three decades an extensive array of studies describing for's role as a modifier of behavior in a wide range of phenotypes, in both Drosophila and other organisms, has emerged. Furthermore, recent work reveals new insights into the genetic and molecular underpinnings of how for affects these phenotypes. In this article, we discuss the history of the for gene and its role in natural variation in behavior, plasticity, and behavioral pleiotropy, with special attention to recent findings on the molecular structure and transcriptional regulation of this gene.
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00:48Optimal Foraging
03:37Optimal Foraging
Organisms must acquire and use resources in their environment to survive. While food is one of the primary resources organisms must search for, individuals also need to seek habitats, shelter, and mates. This process of searching for resources is known as foraging, which involves a series of costs and benefits. More specifically, acquiring a resource provides the organism with a benefit, however, searching and capturing the resource requires expenditure of time and energy.
05:32Optimal Foraging
ExpandNOTE: The foragers will hunt for prey represented by pinto beans in four buckets of rice with varying prey densities. Without knowing what these densities are, foragers must obtain as many prey items as possible in as little time as possible.
HYPOTHESES: In this experiment, the experimental hypothesis could be that foragers will catch the most prey in the higher prey density bucket and also spend the most time foraging there. The...
02:38Optimal Foraging
ExpandPrint a student data collection sheet for each student to record data. NOTE: Students will work in groups of three for this activity. For any given round, one student will forage, one student will record data and another student will run the stopwatch.
Choose a location for the foraging activity to take place. An open field is ideal for this activity but a hallway will suffice provided another location is not available.
Label four five-gallon...
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