It will be a revolution. The fruit fly is the third major type of organism to have its genetic code sequenced after yeast and the soil worm Caenorhabditis elegans . The human genome is nearing completion and scientists are enthralled at the contrasts and comparisons that can be made between these lifeforms. Their genomes show just how closely related are all living things on Earth. Although the last common ancestor of humans, fruit flies, worms and yeast lived over a billion years ago, there are still many genes we share that betray our common heritage.
Scientists sense mystery in the vast tracts of genes and DNA that have unknown functions.
Many of them play an essential role in life that we do not yet realise. So it is with the 180m base pairs of the fruit fly genome. It is a new world.