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Related Experiment Videos

Modularity, individuality, and evo-devo in butterfly wings.

Patricia Beldade1, Kees Koops, Paul M Brakefield

  • 1Institute of Evolutionary and Ecological Sciences, P.O. Box 9516, 2300 RA, Leiden, The Netherlands. pbeldade@uci.edu

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|October 23, 2002
PubMed
Summary

Artificial selection experiments on Bicyclus anynana butterflies reveal that wing pattern evolution is not as constrained by genetic correlations as previously thought. Independent changes in eyespot size demonstrate developmental modularity, challenging traditional views on evolutionary constraints.

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Area of Science:

  • Developmental biology
  • Evolutionary biology
  • Animal morphology

Background:

  • Modularity in animal development is hypothesized to enable morphological diversification.
  • Developmental constraints, arising from trait correlations, may restrict independent evolutionary changes within modules.
  • Previous research has theoretically explored these constraints but lacked experimental validation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To experimentally investigate the modular organization of butterfly wing patterns.
  • To assess the extent to which genetic correlations among repeated pattern elements constrain evolution.
  • To understand the role of developmental constraints in morphological diversification.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized artificial selection experiments on Bicyclus anynana butterflies.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Applied selection for increased size of individual eyespots on the wings.
  • Analyzed the independent evolutionary responses of different eyespots to selection.

    • Main Results:

    • Despite developmental coupling, selection for increased size in one eyespot did not significantly restrict independent changes in another.
    • Demonstrated largely independent evolutionary responses of different eyespots to artificial selection.
    • Found that among-eyespot correlations are unlikely to be major constraints on wing pattern diversification.

    Conclusions:

    • Developmental modularity allows for independent evolution of serially repeated traits like butterfly eyespots.
    • Genetic correlations among eyespots may play a minor role in constraining evolutionary diversification.
    • Natural selection favoring individuality might explain the observed ease of independent evolutionary responses.