Epigenetic mechanisms modulate differences in Drosophila foraging behavior

Significance Individuals of the same species display remarkable variation in behavior even in identical contexts, but the molecular mechanisms that underlie this variation are still poorly understood. Here we present important findings on the regulation of behavioral variation. We show that epigenetic regulation interacts with genetic variation, and provide causal evidence that this mechanism underlies distinct foraging behavioral strategies. More globally, our findings show that individuals within a species may behave differently due to the epigenetic control of gene expression.