PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Butterflies show origin of species as an evolutionary process, not a single event

2013-10-31
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Mary Beth O'Leary
moleary@cell.com
617-397-2802
Cell Press
Butterflies show origin of species as an evolutionary process, not a single event

The evolution of new species might not be as hard as it seems, even when diverging populations remain in contact and continue to produce offspring. That's the conclusion of studies, reported in the Cell Press journal Cell Reports on October 31st, that examine the full genome sequences of 32 Heliconius butterflies from the Central American rain forest, representing five different species.

"The butterflies have performed a beautiful natural experiment for us that lets us address important questions about evolution," said Marcus Kronforst of the University of Chicago. "Even as biologists, we often think of the origin of new species as a moment in time when a new species splits from an old one, and this type of thinking is reflected in the evolutionary 'trees,' or phylogenies, that we draw. In reality, evolution is a long-term process that plays out in stages, and speciation is no different."

Kronforst and his colleagues found that the initial divergence between butterfly populations is restricted to a small fraction of the genome. In the case of the butterflies, the key genes are those involved in wing patterning. The butterfly species under study all have very different wing patterns, which are important in the butterflies' mating behavior and predator avoidance.

Comparison of those closely related, interbreeding species to a slightly more distant third species showed that hundreds of genomic changes had arisen rather quickly in evolutionary time sometime after those early differences took hold.

"We find that only a small fraction of the genome is markedly different between closely related species, but then much more of the genome—more than you'd expect—shows similar differences between more distantly related species," Kronforst explained. "That indicates that the genetic changes that are important for causing speciation are tightly clustered early in speciation, but not so later on in the process; the overall pattern of genome divergence starts slow and then skyrockets."

The researchers view the process as a kind of tug-of-war between natural selection and gene flow. The result in the case of the butterflies has been a rapid divergence of species, driven by a combination of new mutations and borrowed genes. The butterfly genomes also show that the same spots in the genome have been important in multiple speciation events.

"Beyond butterflies, it is possible that this type of speciation, in which natural selection for ecology causes the origin of new species, has been important in the evolution of other organisms," Kronforst said.



INFORMATION:

Cell Reports, Kronforst et al.: "Hybridization reveals the evolving genomic architecture of speciation."



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Dogs know a left-sided wag from a right

2013-10-31
Dogs know a left-sided wag from a right VIDEO: Dogs visual stimuli (naturalistic and silhouette) exhibiting prevalent left- or right-asymmetric tail wagging. Stationary stimuli ...

Evolution of new species requires few genetic changes

2013-10-31
Evolution of new species requires few genetic changes Only a few genetic changes are needed to spur the evolution of new species—even if the original populations are still in contact and exchanging genes. Once started, however, evolutionary divergence ...

Study offers new theory of cancer development

2013-10-31
Study offers new theory of cancer development Patterns found in cancer's chaos illuminate tumor evolution For more than 100 years, researchers have been unable to explain why cancer cells contain abnormal numbers of chromosomes, a phenomenon known as aneuploidy. ...

Women working in Head Start programs report poor physical and mental health

2013-10-31
Women working in Head Start programs report poor physical and mental health Women working in Head Start, the nation's largest federally funded early childhood education program which serves nearly one million low-income children, report higher than expected levels ...

Cellular tail length tells disease tale

2013-10-31
Cellular tail length tells disease tale Simon Fraser University molecular biologist Lynne Quarmby's adventures in pond scum have led her and four student researchers to discover a mutation that can make cilia, the microscopic antennae on our cells, grow too long. ...

How protein suicide assure healthy cell structures

2013-10-31
How protein suicide assure healthy cell structures This news release is available in Portuguese. Centrioles are tiny structures in the cell that play an important role in cell division and in the assembly of cilia and flagella. Changes in the ...

Opportunities abound for nonprofit hospitals aiming to address obesity through community benefit

2013-10-31
Opportunities abound for nonprofit hospitals aiming to address obesity through community benefit New STOP Obesity Alliance report offers guidance for implementing obesity programs to meet community health needs WASHINGTON, D.C., October 31, 2013 --New research from ...

New stem cells go back further

2013-10-31
New stem cells go back further Scientists isolate new human pluripotent stem cells capable of generating 'humanized' mouse models containing human-derived tissues One of the obstacles to employing human embryonic stem cells for medical use lies in their very ...

A high protein diet and meal replacements can reduce rebound weight gain

2013-10-31
A high protein diet and meal replacements can reduce rebound weight gain New research shows that there are several effective strategies available to people wanting to avoid regaining weight after a successful diet. Anti-obesity drugs, meal replacements and a high ...

Chickens to benefit from biofuels bonanza

2013-10-31
Chickens to benefit from biofuels bonanza Chickens could be the unexpected beneficiaries of the growing biofuels industry, feeding on proteins retrieved from the fermenters used to brew bioethanol, thanks to research supported by ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of automated external defibrillators in private homes

University of Phoenix College of Social and Behavioral Sciences leadership publishes white paper on trauma-informed education

Microbial iron mining: turning polluted soils into self-cleaning reactors

Molecular snapshots reveal how the body knows it’s too hot

Analysis finds alarming rise in severe diverticulitis among younger Americans

Mitochondria and lysosomes reprogram immune cells that dampen inflammation

Cockroach infestation linked to home allergen, endotoxin levels

New biochar-powered microbial systems offer sustainable solution for toxic pollutants

Identifying the best high-biomass sorghum hybrids based on biomass yield potential and feedstock quality affected by nitrogen fertility management under various environments

How HIV’s shape-shifting protein reveals clues for smarter drug design

Study identifies viral combinations that heighten risk of severe respiratory illnesses in infants

Aboveground rather than belowground productivity drives variability in miscanthus × giganteus net primary productivity

Making yeast more efficient 'cell factories' for producing valuable plant compounds

Aging in plain sight: What new research says the eyes reveal about aging and cardiovascular risk

Child welfare system involvement may improve diagnosis of developmental delays

Heavier electric trucks could strain New York City’s roads and bridges, study warns

From womb to world: scientists reveal how maternal stress programs infant development

Bezos Earth Fund grants $2M to UC Davis and American Heart Association to advance AI-designed foods

Data Protection is transforming humanitarian action in the digital age, new book shows

AI unlocks the microscopic world to transform future manufacturing

Virtual reality helps people understand and care about distant communities

Optica Publishing Group announces subscribe to open pilot for the Journal of the Optical Society of America B (JOSA B)

UNF partners with Korey Stringer Institute and Perry Weather to open heat exercise laboratory on campus

DNA from Napoleon’s 1812 army identifies the pathogens likely responsible for the army’s demise during their retreat from Russia

Study suggests two unsuspected pathogens struck Napoleon's army during the retreat from Russia in 1812

The 25-year incidence and progression of hearing loss in the Framingham offspring study

AI-driven nanomedicine breakthrough paves way for personalized breast cancer therapy

Fight or flight—and grow a new limb

Augmenting electroencephalogram transformer for steady-state visually evoked potential-based brain–computer interfaces

Coaches can boost athletes’ mental toughness with this leadership style

[Press-News.org] Butterflies show origin of species as an evolutionary process, not a single event