Jennifer Gleason – Why is That Fly Behaving That Way?”
Flies, just like mammals, have complex behaviors. Some of the most complex behaviors performed by flies are their courtship dances. Males sing and wave their wings at females to convince the females that they are the best choice. Flies also fight with each other; both males and females fight. However, not all flies court or fight the same way. This talk will discuss how these behaviors evolve while discussing many of the unusual behaviors flies perform.
Dr. Jennifer Gleason is an associate professor at the University of Kansas in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Her lab studies the evolution and genetics of behavior in Drosophila (fruit fly) species. The primary behaviors she studies are courtship and aggression.