Meeting Abstract

P1.189  Saturday, Jan. 4 15:30  Using a sequential y-maze and selective breeding to create Drosophila melanogaster strains with magnetic orientation preferences DAVIS, SM*; ZACHARY, ED; JAMES, TA; LATHAM, KL; BALTZLEY, MJ; Western Oregon University; Western Oregon University; Western Oregon University; Western Oregon University; Western Oregon University sdavis12@mail.wou.edu

There is some experimental evidence that the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster uses the Earth’s magnetic field as an orientation cue. The ability to detect and orient using the Earth’s magnetic field has been shown in diverse species, including sea turtles, birds, lobsters, newts, and sea slugs, yet the cellular basis for magnetosensory behaviors has remained elusive. If D. melanogaster orients to magnetic fields, the species offers an unprecedented opportunity to study the genetic basis of magnetic orientation and navigation because of their status as a model organism. We are going to attempt to confirm that D. melanogaster can orient using the magnetic field and will do this by creating populations with strong magnetic orientation preferences using artificial selection. We developed a maze that allowed us to isolate different individuals with north and south orientation preferences. Two populations of D. melanogaster were then created through selective breeding: a north-seeking population and a south-seeking population. We will present the preliminary results of this orientation and selection research. The experiment will continue through 15 generations of selection. The experiment was modeled after a study by Hadler (1964) which was used to ascertain the genetic basis of phototaxis in D. melanogaster. We are using this phototaxic behavior of D. melanogaster as a positive control.