How Social Experience and Environment Impacts Behavioural Plasticity in Drosophila

Abstract

An organism's behaviour is influenced by its social environment. Experiences such as social isolation or crowding may have profound short or long-term effects on an individual's behaviour. The composition of the social environment also depends on the genetics and previous experiences of the individuals present, leading to additional potential outcomes from each social interaction. In this article, we review selected literature related to the social environment of the model organism Drosophila melanogaster, and how Drosophila respond to variation in their social experiences throughout their lifetimes. We focus on the effects of social environment on behavioural phenotypes such as courtship, aggression, and group dynamics, as well as other phenotypes such as development and physiology. The consequences of phenotypic plasticity due to social environment are discussed with respect to the ecology and evolution of Drosophila. We also relate these studies to laboratory research practices involving Drosophila and other animals.

Keywords: Drosophila; Social environment; behaviour; development; ecology; evolution; model organism; plasticity.

Figure 1.

Drosophila may be exposed to various social environments at different life stages. For example, during the larval stage, conditions such as social isolation or crowding may lead to both short and long-term effects on an individual’s behaviour, development, and fitness. Figure modified from Figure 3 in [18]. Illustration by Max Licht