© Mathieu Chouteau Heliconius numata silvana. This variety probably looks like what Heliconius numata did two million years ago when the supergene arose.
Some butterflies rely mainly on colorful wing patterns for their survival. CNRS researchers from the Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive (CNRS / University of Montpellier / Paul-Valéry University / EPHE-PSL / IRD), together with British and American teams, studied the genomes of dozens of tropical Heliconius numata butterflies to understand how such diversity in color motifs has come about. And they believe they have found the key to this variety: a supergene that arose two million years ago by hybridization and has been passed down through the generations. Their findings are published in Current Biology (May 24, 2018). Butterflies studied by scientists apply adaptive strategies to escape predators. They use mimicry, displaying the same colors and patterns as various toxic butterflies, so that predators think they are inedible. Hence those most resembling toxic butterflies have an advantage, which their descendants inherit.
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