Book excerpt: The Atlas of Drosophila Morphology: Wild-type and Classical Mutants is the guide every Drosophila researcher wished they had when first learning genetic markers, and the tool they wish they had now as a handy reference in their lab research. Previously, scientists had only poor-quality images or sketches to work with, and then scattered resources online - but no single visual resource quickly at their fingertips when explaining markers to new members of the lab, or selecting flies to do their genetic crosses, or hybrids. This alphabetized guide to Drosophila genetic markers lays flat in the lab for easy referencing. It contains high-resolution images of flies and the appropriate marker on the left side of each page and helpful information for the marker on the facing page, such as symbol, gene name, synonyms, chromosome location, brief informative description of the morphology, and comments on marker reliability. A companion website with updated information, useful links, and additional data provided by the authors complements this extremely valuable resource. - Provides an opening chapter with a well-illustrated introduction to Drosophila morphology - Features high-resolution illustrations, including those of the most common markers used by Drosophila researchers - Contains brief, practical descriptions and tips for deciphering the phenotype - Includes material relevant for beginners and the most experienced fly pushers