Dissertation Research: Molecular Mechanisms of Phenotypic Variation in Heliconius Butterfly Wing Patterns

University Of Arizona, Tucson AZ

Investigators

Abstract

The aim of this project is to explore the role that developmental regulatory mechanisms play in producing variation in natural populations. To study this topic, the investigators are using Heliconius butterflies as a system for studying the evolution of gene regulation from a molecular perspective. Several of the color pattern genes in Heliconius that allow regional races to participate in adaptive mimicry behavior act as simple switches in a pigment biosynthesis pathway. The biosynthetic pathways that produce pigments in butterfly wings are well known, and this research will test how simple changes in the regulation of specific intermediate pigment synthesis and transport genes may result in wing pattern variation within and between species. Understanding evolution at the mechanistic level is critical for effective management of, for instance, the adaptive resistance in pathogen and pest species. It is of immediate benefit to develop a basic understanding of the genetic basis of how organisms develop new significant characteristics over short time spans. Butterfly wing patterns provide a tractable model system for studying adaptive genetic change at the population level.