Signs of anger: Representation of agonistic behaviour in invertebrate cognition

Abstract

In this essay I shall examine the representation of aggression and its issues in the model animal, the Fruit Fly, Drosophila melanogaster. The Fruit Fly is the model animal for genetics and more recently neuroscience. On the basis of its behaviour conclusions are being drawn that will help in the development of new treatments for clinical entities like aggression and anxiety disorders-the author questions those findings and asks whether more should be done to focus on the actual biology and behaviour-the Umwelt, instead of trying to bridge the gulf between invertebrate and human behaviours. © 2009 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.