Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Quantifying Abdominal Pigmentation in Drosophila melanogaster
Published on: June 1, 2017
Not just black and white: pigment pattern development and evolution in vertebrates
Margaret G Mills1, Larissa B Patterson
1Department of Biology, Box 351800, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. gracem@u.washington.edu
Abstract:
Animals display diverse colors and patterns that vary within and between species. Similar phenotypes appear in both closely related and widely divergent taxa. Pigment patterns thus provide an opportunity to explore how development is altered to produce differences in form and whether similar phenotypes share a common genetic basis. Understanding the development and evolution of pigment patterns requires knowledge of the cellular interactions and signaling pathways that produce those patterns. These complex traits provide unparalleled opportunities for integrating studies from ecology and behavior to molecular biology and biophysics.
Related Concept Videos
Epistasis
Gene Duplication and Divergence
The duplicated copies of the gene are called Paralogs. Paralogs with similar sequences and functions form a gene family. Across several species, a large number of gene families are characterized.
The Evidence for Evolution
Pigmentation
Melanin occurs in two primary forms: eumelanin that provides black and brown pigment and pheomelanin that provides red color. Dark-skinned individuals produce more melanin than those with pale...
Position-effect Variegation
Convergent Evolution

