Closely Related Fruit Fly Species Living at Different Latitudes Diverge in Their Circadian Clock Anatomy and Rhythmic Behavior

Differences in expression patterns of cryptochrome and pigment-dispersing factor are observed in high-latitude Drosophila species.

• High-latitude Drosophila species exhibit unique patterns of cryptochrome and pigment-dispersing factor expression.
• These expression differences may influence rhythmic activity patterns, potentially aiding adaptation to long photoperiods.
• Drosophila species that did not colonize high latitudes retain a clock network similar to D. melanogaster.
• The findings suggest that a D. melanogaster-like clock network may represent the ancestral condition for flies.
• Alterations in the neurochemistry of the clock may facilitate the colonization of high-latitude environments in specific species.

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