Fruit flies, like almost all other living organisms, have
built-in circadian rhythms that keep time even in the absence of
external stimuli. Several genes have been shown to be involved in
internal timekeeping, including per (period) and
tim (timeless). Mutations in these two genes, and
in other genes, disrupt timekeeping abilities. Interestingly, these
genes have also been shown to be involved in other time-related
behavior, such as the frequency of wingbeats in male courtship
behaviors. Individuals that carry particular mutations...