Circadian Clock Genes Linked to Mating in Flies
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
Two genes that regulate the circadian clock -- the 24-hour cycle of life events -- in flies also control how long the insects mate, Oregon State University researchers reported in the journal Current Biology.
Researchers found that male flies without one of the two genes, called period and timeless, copulated 30% to 50% longer than flies with both genes, increasing the act from 15 minutes to as long as 23 minutes.
