A cluster of nerve cells embedded in the central nervous system of male fruit flies controls their elaborate courtship rituals, which include love songs and gentle leg tapping on prospective female partners.But when these nerve cells don’t function properly, the male flies go from suave romancers to loutish bar flies that try to force their affections on unreceptive females, says a Stanford University study in the July 29 issue of Nature.The researchers say their findings offer new insight into how the brain controls sexual behavior in a number of species, including humans.
