Butterfly Study Reveals Genetic Innovation Behind Seasonal Wing Pattern Adaptation
Researchers have identified the genetic mechanism enabling satyrid butterflies to adapt their wing patterns to seasonal temperatures. The discovery reveals how a conserved developmental gene acquired new regulatory functions through evolutionary innovation. This breakthrough explains how phenotypic plasticity evolved across a major butterfly clade spanning 60 million years.
Genetic Breakthrough in Butterfly Adaptation
Scientists have uncovered the genetic mechanism behind one of nature’s most striking examples of environmental adaptation, according to research published in Nature Ecology & Evolution. The study reveals how satyrid butterflies evolved the ability to adjust their wing eyespot patterns in response to temperature changes, a seasonal adaptation that originated approximately 60 million years ago.