The entire male fruit fly brain is mapped: 166,000 neurons, 125 million synapses
The male fruit fly is now fully mapped: 166,000 neurons and 125 million synaptic connections, the largest brain connectome to date and the subject of a new Cell paper from Google Research, HHMI Janelia and collaborators. It includes the ventral nerve cord, the fly's analog of a spinal cord, so it covers how the brain talks to the body. With the female map already done, researchers can compare sexes and study how wiring varies between individuals.