Amazonian butterflies evolve similar iridescence but different chemical signals

elifesciences.org

Sympatric Amazonian Morpho butterflies show convergent iridescent wing colors but divergent chemical signals. This suggests ecological interactions drive trait evolution, promoting similarity in visual cues for predator avoidance while favoring distinct chemical cues for species recognition and reproduction. The study focuses on how natural and sexual selection shape these traits in closely related species, impacting their coexistence.


With a significance score of 3.4, this news ranks in the top 6.9% of today's 27584 analyzed articles.

Get summaries of news with significance over 5.5 (usually ~10 stories per week). Read by 10,000+ subscribers:


Amazonian butterflies evolve similar iridescence but different chemical signals | News Minimalist