Research: Dance-performing Fruit Flies Unmindful of Hazards
In their research, academics Laurie Cazalé-Debat from the University of Birmingham and Lisa Scheunemann from FU found that as romantic pursuits advance, an uptick in dopamine dampens alerts for peril. In the initial phases of courtship, these fruit flies would discontinue this conduct when predators were imitated. As the act of mating drew nearer, however, these fruit flies paid no heed to the simulated danger. This advancement might also hint at decision-making strategies in various creatures and perhaps even humans. Dopamine might thus function as a sensory sieve, honing in on the most urgent priorities.
In this study, the 'happiness hormone' dopamine plays a crucial role in altering the fruit flies' perception of danger during courtship. As romantic pursuits progress and the 'happiness hormone' increases, fruit flies become less responsive to potential threats.
