Behavioral and environmental contributions to drosophilid social networks
Jacob A. Jezovit, Rebecca Rooke, Jonathan Schneider, Joel D. Levine
Abstract
Significance Cultural norms, collective decisions, reproductive behavior, and pathogen transmission all emerge from interaction patterns within animal social groups. These patterns of interaction support group-level phenomena that can influence an individual’s fitness. Here, we analyze social interaction networks across 20 drosophilid species through the comparative method. This study represents an attempt to understand the evolutionary forces shaping social structure in flies. This study establishes an important framework for understanding the interplay between social groups, the ecological environment, and the evolutionary history of flies. This further sets the stage for uncovering common molecular mechanisms governing social behavior in flies, which may be conserved across other animals.