Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 12, 2026
06:19
In situ Protocol for Butterfly Pupal Wings Using Riboprobes
Published on: May 28, 2007
Cryptic genetic and wing pattern diversity in a mimetic Heliconius butterfly
R I Hill1, L E Gilbert, M R Kronforst
1Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA 95211, USA. rhill@pacific.edu
Molecular Ecology
|March 28, 2013
Summary
Genetic analysis of Heliconius erato reveals a significant genetic break in Costa Rica, suggesting an origin in Central America. This finding reshapes our understanding of mimicry evolution and the species' evolutionary history.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Genetics
- Ecology
Background:
- Heliconius erato displays a consistent 'postman' wing pattern across Central America, contrasting with South American diversity.
- Understanding the genetic basis of this pattern and its geographical distribution is key to evolutionary studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the genetic variation and phylogeography of Heliconius erato across its range.
- To identify the origins of the 'postman' wing pattern and its evolutionary history.
Main Methods:
- Dense genetic sampling across Central America, including mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), Z-linked, and autosomal markers.
- Phylogeographical analyses to reconstruct evolutionary history and identify genetic breaks.
- Comparison of genetic clines with wing pattern phenotype shifts.
Main Results:
- A deep genetic break was discovered in Costa Rica, characterized by a novel mitochondrial lineage.
- Strong genetic differentiation was observed in nuclear markers, correlating with a subtle shift in wing pattern.
- Phylogeographical analyses suggest H. erato originated in Central America or northwest South America, potentially 1 million years before H. melpomene.
Conclusions:
- The genetic break in Costa Rica is a crucial factor in H. erato's evolutionary history.
- Neutral genetic markers and color pattern loci are congruent, supporting a Central American origin with a 'postman' phenotype.
- This study rewrites the understanding of mimicry evolution in Heliconius erato.
Related Concept Videos
01:21Frequency-dependent Selection
When the fitness of a trait is influenced by how common it is (i.e., its frequency) relative to different traits within a population, this is referred to as frequency-dependent selection. Frequency-dependent selection may occur between species or within a single species. This type of selection can either be positive—with more common phenotypes having higher fitness—or negative, with rarer phenotypes conferring increased fitness.
02:32Position-effect Variegation
In 1928, a German botanist Emil Heitz observed the moss nuclei with a DNA binding dye. He observed that while some chromatin regions decondense and spread out in the interphase nucleus, others do not. He termed them euchromatin and heterochromatin, respectively. He proposed that the heterochromatin regions reflect a functionally inactive state of the genome. It was later confirmed that heterochromatin is transcriptionally repressed, and euchromatin is transcriptionally active chromatin.
01:54Convergent Evolution
Evolution shapes the features of organisms over time, ensuring that they are suited for the environments in which they live. Sometimes, selection pressure leads to the rise of similar but unrelated adaptations in organisms with no recent common ancestors, a process known as convergent evolution.
02:40Pollination and Flower Structure
Flowers are the reproductive, seed-producing structures of angiosperms. Typically, flowers consist of sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels. Sepals and petals are the vegetative flower organs. Stamens and carpels are the reproductive organs.
02:16Genetics of Speciation
Speciation is the evolutionary process resulting in the formation of new, distinct species—groups of reproductively isolated populations.