Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

The Ratio of X Chromosome to Autosomes02:45

The Ratio of X Chromosome to Autosomes

8.6K
In most organisms, sex is determined by the ratio of X and Y chromosomes. However, in some organisms, such as Drosophila and C.elegans, sex is determined by the ratio of the number of X chromosomes to the number of sets of autosomes. The Y chromosome in Drosophila is active but does not determine sex. It contains genes responsible for the production of sperms in adult flies.  
Normal male Drosophila has a ratio of one X chromosome to two sets of autosomes. In contrast, normal female...
8.6K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Gaze dynamics of cued speech perception.

Scientific reports·2026
Same author

Amyloid precursor protein ortholog Appl acts with Vnd during mushroom body axon growth in Drosophila.

Genetics·2026
Same author

Prefrontal tDCS modulates behavioural and neural signatures associated with consciousness.

NeuroImage·2026
Same author

Author Correction: Enteric neurons increase maternal food intake during reproduction.

Nature·2026
Same author

Building brains, shaping behaviors: How developmental approaches illuminate the analysis of circuits and behavior.

Current opinion in neurobiology·2026
Same author

ManyNumbers 3: A Multi-Lab Study of Demographic Correlates of Early Number Knowledge.

Developmental science·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 23, 2025

Assessing Differences in Sperm Competitive Ability in Drosophila
09:34

Assessing Differences in Sperm Competitive Ability in Drosophila

Published on: August 22, 2013

14.7K

Numerical discrimination in Drosophila melanogaster.

Mercedes Bengochea1, Jacobo D Sitt1, Veronique Izard2

  • 1Institut du Cerveau-Paris Brain Institute (ICM), Sorbonne Université, Inserm, CNRS, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France.

Cell Reports
|July 15, 2023
PubMed
Summary

Fruit flies (Drosophila) show a preference for larger numbers, demonstrating numerical cognition. Silencing specific neurons (LC11) reduced this preference, identifying a neural basis for number sense in invertebrates.

Keywords:
CP: NeuroscienceDrosophila melanogaster, numerosity, insect cognition, approximate number system, associative learning, LC11 neurons

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Quantifying Rough Eye Phenotypes in Drosophila Models of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis with Frontotemporal Dementia
05:25

Author Spotlight: Quantifying Rough Eye Phenotypes in Drosophila Models of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis with Frontotemporal Dementia

Published on: October 4, 2024

931
An Automated Method to Determine the Performance of Drosophila in Response to Temperature Changes in Space and Time
06:52

An Automated Method to Determine the Performance of Drosophila in Response to Temperature Changes in Space and Time

Published on: October 12, 2018

6.5K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 23, 2025

Assessing Differences in Sperm Competitive Ability in Drosophila
09:34

Assessing Differences in Sperm Competitive Ability in Drosophila

Published on: August 22, 2013

14.7K
Author Spotlight: Quantifying Rough Eye Phenotypes in Drosophila Models of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis with Frontotemporal Dementia
05:25

Author Spotlight: Quantifying Rough Eye Phenotypes in Drosophila Models of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis with Frontotemporal Dementia

Published on: October 4, 2024

931
An Automated Method to Determine the Performance of Drosophila in Response to Temperature Changes in Space and Time
06:52

An Automated Method to Determine the Performance of Drosophila in Response to Temperature Changes in Space and Time

Published on: October 12, 2018

6.5K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Science
  • Animal Behavior

Background:

  • Numerical cognition, the ability to process and understand quantities, is fundamental but poorly understood due to limited experimental models.
  • Investigating the neural circuits underlying number sense requires organisms amenable to genetic and neural manipulation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To establish Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism for studying the neural basis of numerical cognition.
  • To identify specific neural substrates involved in quantity-based decision-making in invertebrates.

Main Methods:

  • Observed spontaneous numerical preferences in fruit flies when presented with varying quantities of objects.
  • Employed a numerical visual conditioning paradigm to train flies and assess their ability to associate quantities with rewards.
  • Utilized targeted silencing of lobula columnar neurons (LC11) to investigate their role in numerical preference.

Main Results:

  • Flies spontaneously preferred sets with larger numbers of objects, with preference based on quantity ratio, a hallmark of numerical cognition.
  • Flies demonstrated associative learning, linking numerical quantities with sucrose rewards and allowing for preference reversal.
  • Silencing LC11 neurons significantly diminished the flies' preference for larger quantities, implicating these neurons in numerical processing.

Conclusions:

  • Drosophila melanogaster exhibits genuine numerical cognition, providing a tractable model for studying this ability.
  • Lobula columnar neurons (LC11) are identified as a crucial neural substrate for numerical cognition in invertebrates.
  • This research opens avenues for exploring the evolution and neural mechanisms of number sense across species.