Aggression is an innate behavior that evolved in the framework of defending or obtaining
resources. This complex social behavior is influenced by genetic, hormonal and
environmental factors. In many organisms, aggression is critical to survival but
controlling and suppressing aggression in distinct contexts also has become increasingly
important. In recent years, invertebrates have become increasingly useful as model systems
for investigating the genetic and systems biological basis of complex social behavior.
This is in part due to the diverse repertoire of behaviors exhibited by these organisms.
In the accompanying video, we outline a method for analyzing aggression in Drosophila
whose design encompasses important eco-ethological constraints. Details include steps for:
making a fighting chamber; isolating and painting flies; adding flies to the fight
chamber; and video taping fights. This approach is currently being used to identify
candidate genes important in aggression and in elaborating the neuronal circuitry that
underlies the output of aggression and other social behaviors