Genetics of aggression

A new avenue for behavioural genetics research is developed in the model organism, Drosophila. Some topics in biology are of immense importance, but are frustratingly difficult to study. Behaviour is one of those topics and the genetic basis of aggression is of particular interest. A recent report by Dierick & Greenspan provides an efficient genetic screen for aggressive fruit flies. They have selected individuals that are 30 fold more aggressive than their unselected cohorts and have even identified a gene that has a major influence on the selected trait.