Mimicry Controlled By A Single Gene

By Regina Bailey, About.com Guide   July 22, 2011

Passion-vine Butterfly
Credit: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

Many animals employ the use of mimicry as a defense mechanism against potential predators. Heliconius butterflies, also called passion-vine butterflies, mimic each other's red color wing pattern as a warning sign to predators that they are toxic. Several research groups have now discovered that a single gene is responsible for the evolution of red wing patterns in passion-vine butterflies.

According to researcher Heather Hines, "We found that the same gene that codes for the red in Heliconius wings was already identified as a gene called optix that is involved in eye development in other organisms. It is intriguing that the ommochrome pigments that color these wings red are also expressed in the eye." This discovery suggests that many complex traits could be controlled by a small number of genes instead of a host of genes.

Learn more about this study:

    Eye Gene Colors Butterfly Wings Red ScienceDaily

