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Updated: Jul 13, 2026
06:19
In situ Protocol for Butterfly Pupal Wings Using Riboprobes
Published on: May 28, 2007
A conserved supergene locus controls colour pattern diversity in Heliconius butterflies
Mathieu Joron1, Riccardo Papa, Margarita Beltrán
1Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. mathieu.joron@ed.ac.uk
Plos Biology
|September 28, 2006
Summary
Similar genetic regions control wing patterns in different butterfly species, driving both convergent and divergent evolution in mimicry. This suggests conserved developmental mechanisms underlie diverse adaptive strategies.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary genetics
- Developmental biology
- Entomology
Background:
- Mimetic insects exhibit diverse patterns and remarkable evolutionary convergence, fueling debates on selection versus constraints in adaptation.
- Müllerian mimicry, where unpalatable species converge on similar warning signals, provides a model for studying adaptive evolution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if similar developmental genetic mechanisms underpin both convergent and divergent evolution in mimicry.
- To compare the genetic architecture of wing pattern evolution across three related butterfly species.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a genetic linkage map to identify and compare the locations of color pattern loci.
- Contrasted three butterfly species: Heliconius melpomene, Heliconius erato, and Heliconius numata, focusing on Müllerian mimicry.
Main Results:
- A specific locus (Yb) in H. melpomene controlling a yellow band maps to the same location (Cr) as a similar locus in H. erato.
- This same genomic region functions as a 'supergene' controlling multiple wing patterns in H. numata, a species with different mimetic forms.
- While other color pattern loci are homologous in H. melpomene and H. erato, they are not involved in H. numata's mimicry.
Conclusions:
- A conserved genetic region can influence mimicry in distinct ways, highlighting its role in both convergent and diversifying evolution.
- Adaptive evolution, including mimicry, can repeatedly involve the same genomic regions, suggesting a degree of evolutionary constraint or repeated innovation.
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