Model
Digital Document
Publisher
Florida Atlantic University
Description
Natural-occurring factors stemming from the environment can influence complex behaviors, such
as feeding and sleeping. These factors act evolutionarily as selective pressures, shaping an organism’s
behavior, for example suppressing sleep in order to forage for food. Under evolutionary influence, the
regulation of sleep and metabolic homeostasis is crucial for an animal’s survival. Notable differences in
sleep and metabolic phenotypes are seen across the animal kingdom, however how ecological factors
maintain these phenotypes is poorly understood.
Using the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, this Honors Thesis will assess sleep, starvation, and
metabolic traits in 24 populations gathered from various geographic localities. Previous studies using
Drosophila have identified the novel genetic regulators of sleep, metabolism and evolutionary processes.
Sleep dysregulation leads to the deterioration of normal functions within both the fruit fly and humans. My
project investigates how this variation in behavior interacts with evolutionary environment and history.
as feeding and sleeping. These factors act evolutionarily as selective pressures, shaping an organism’s
behavior, for example suppressing sleep in order to forage for food. Under evolutionary influence, the
regulation of sleep and metabolic homeostasis is crucial for an animal’s survival. Notable differences in
sleep and metabolic phenotypes are seen across the animal kingdom, however how ecological factors
maintain these phenotypes is poorly understood.
Using the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, this Honors Thesis will assess sleep, starvation, and
metabolic traits in 24 populations gathered from various geographic localities. Previous studies using
Drosophila have identified the novel genetic regulators of sleep, metabolism and evolutionary processes.
Sleep dysregulation leads to the deterioration of normal functions within both the fruit fly and humans. My
project investigates how this variation in behavior interacts with evolutionary environment and history.
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