ory, ill a very long anding t, or indeed almost anyto do y.

    Clearly tation, and itude to undertake it.  Morgan, and in 1904, just four years after timely rediscovery of Mendel’sexperiments s and still almost a decade before gene ed th chromosomes.

    Co see under turn of tietury it rongly suspected t traits,but no one knew his.

    Morgan c of study a tiny, delicate fly formally called Drosoper, but more commonly kno fly (or vinegar fly, banana fly, orgarbage fly). Drosopo most of us as t frail, colorless insect t seems too droory specimens fruit flies ainvery attractive advantages: t almost noto tles,  from egg to productive parenten days or less, and  four c tly simple.

    orking out of a small lab ( Columbia University in Neiculous breeding and crossbreeding involving millions of flies (onebiograp is probably an exaggeration), eaco becaptured iny variations ininance. For six years tried to produce mutations by any means tion and X-rays, rearing t ligly in ovens, spinning trifuges—but notable mutation—a fly te eyes ratants o generate useful deformities, alloo track a trait tions. By suc tions beticular ceristics and individual cually proving to more or lesseveryone’s satisfaction t c t of inance.

    t level of biological intricacy: tic genesand t composed trickier to isolate and understand. Aslate as 1933,  convinced t genes even existed. As Morgan noted at time, to itious.” It may seemsurprising t scientists could struggle to accept ty of sometal t