Thursday, October 8, 2026
Science

Tortoise beetles use pigmentation protein to shield bacteria that help digest plants

More than 80 years ago, scientists discovered that differences in yellow pigmentation were critical to courtship success and failure for fruit flies. It was one of the first demonstrations linking genes to complex behavior, and ever since, the Yellow proteins that paint these shades in nature have b...

Tortoise beetles use pigmentation protein to shield bacteria that help digest plants
Image: Phys.org
More than 80 years ago, scientists discovered that differences in yellow pigmentation were critical to courtship success and failure for fruit flies. It was one of the first demonstrations linking genes to complex behavior, and ever since, the Yellow proteins that paint these shades in nature have been a fruitful source of scientific inquiry.

Originally published at Phys.org

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