flies          
Thomas Hunt Morgan 1917
Sturtevant, Bridges, 1920
a very brief history of Drosophila research
1910  first mutation, white, published and
         sex-linked inheritance found (Morgan)
1913  first ever genetic map (Sturtevant)
1927  X-rays induce mutations (Muller)
1967  first genetic screen for behavior (Benzer)
1975  first ever whole genome DNA library (Hogness)
1978  first ever positional gene cloning (Hogness & Lewis)
1980  first saturation screen in animals (Nüsslein-Volhard)
1984  Hox genes isolated (Gehring, Scott)
1987  Enhancer traps (O’Kane & Gehring)
2000  Whole genome sequenced
the truth about fruit flies
Talking about Drosophila melanogaster, one researcher says: “If you have been seeing small flies or gnats in your kitchen, they're probably fruit flies. Fruit flies can be a problem year round, but are especially common during late summer/fall because they are attracted to ripened or fermenting fruits and vegetables.” First off, they are not a problem. There is no evidence a D.melanogaster has ever attacked a human. Second, they are not fruit flies. The latter are a real problem, a major agricultural pest, and ugly to boot (see picture).
Drosophila are vinegar, or pomace flies, as they really like rotting fruit, and the yeast that starts growing then.
good fly,
Drosophila melanogaster
bad fly  
Ceratitis capitata
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