Touch neurons underlying dopaminergic pleasurable touch and sexual receptivity.

Pleasurable touch is paramount during social behavior, including sexual encounters. However, the identity and precise role of sensory neurons that transduce sexual touch remain unknown. A population of sensory neurons labeled by developmental expression of the G protein-coupled receptor Mrgprb4 detects mechanical stimulation in mice.

Acuity and summation strategies differ in vinegar and desert fruit flies.

An animal's vision depends on terrain features that limit the amount and distribution of available light. Approximately 10,000 years ago, vinegar flies () transitioned from a single plant specialist into a cosmopolitan generalist. Much earlier, desert flies () colonized the New World, specializing on rotting cactuses in southwest North America.

Internal State: Dynamic, Interconnected Communication Loops Distributed Across Body, Brain, and Time.

Internal state profoundly alters perception and behavior. For example, a starved fly may approach and consume foods that it would otherwise find undesirable. A socially engaged newt may remain engaged in the presence of a predator, whereas a solitary newt would otherwise attempt to escape.