Recounting the history of polyploid research in D. melanogaster : 1 century since 2 reports of 3 flies with 4 sets of chromosomes

One hundred years ago, two reports appeared of tetraploid D. melanogaster females – curiosities that had never been seen before. The authors, Calvin Bridges and Lilian Morgan, were among the famed founders of fly genetics in T.H. Morgan's lab at Columbia University. Sadly, their findings have faded into the fog of ancient fly lore. This review exhumes those relics in order to offer modern fly-pushers some possible avenues for polyploid research. That subfield is undergoing a revival that may interest them.