A smart computer program named
JAABA has helped scientists create a brain-wide atlas of fruit fly behavior. The
machine-learning program tracked the position and cataloged the behaviors of
400,000 fruit flies, in more than 225 days of video footage, helping
researchers match specific behaviors to different groups of neurons.
Their results are the most
comprehensive neural maps of behavior yet created. Such detailed maps could
give researchers a starting point for tracing the neural circuitry flies use to
produce specific behaviors, such as jumping or wing grooming. Understanding the
inner workings of the fly brain could even offer insight into the neural basis
of human behavior.
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