Flies play on a carousel / Curr. Biol., Feb. 10, 2025 (Vol. 35, Issue 5)

When given the option to ride a carousel, Triphan et al. observe that individual vinegar flies either avoid it or seek it consistently across days. Carousel visits happen voluntarily and repeatedly, fulfilling all criteria for playful behavior. The authors propose that this kind of locomotor play is particularly well suited to shape our body self-perception.

Check out the paper at http://www.cell.com/current-biology/f....

T. Triphan, C.H. Ferreira, and W. Huetteroth (2025). Play-like behavior exhibited by the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster. Curr. Biol. 35.

And read more great research at http://www.cell.com/current-biology/home.