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Successful Merger of Butterfly Species

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the better-to-create-chaotic-futures dept.

Roland Piquepaille writes "Researchers from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) have recreated a real butterfly in the lab by crossing two other species of butterflies. This phenomenon, which is quite rare, is known as hybrid speciation. What is more surprising is that the hybrid butterfly has been created in just three generations of lab crosses. And BBC News tells us that the new butterfly species is a viable one, with its specific wing patterns which "make them undesirable as mates for members of their parent species." In fact, this hybridization, which occurred without any changes to the chromosome number, could mean that it is an important factor in the origin of new animal species. Read more for many additional references and a comparison of wing patterns between hybrids and wild butterflies."

5 of 85 comments (clear)

  1. Why this is important ... by neonprimetime · · Score: 2, Interesting

    In layman's terms...
    The study demonstrates that two animal species can evolve to form one, instead of the more common scenario where one species diverges to form two.

  2. marketing potential by Kalinago · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I once read an article about the possibilities of engineering butterfly wing patterns to produce, lets say, a well known brand logo. So you could have swarms of live "nike", "samsung" banners fluttering all over your garden.

    Guess this means we are one step closer to such reality. this is so Dystopian.

  3. Start your stopwatches . . . . by Badgerman · · Score: 2, Interesting

    How long will it take for this to be dragged into the Intelligent Design community as "proof" that "Darwinism" is wrong for some reason?

    --
    "The Sage treasures Unity and measures all things by it" - Lao Tzu
    1. Re:Start your stopwatches . . . . by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      'One is that animals that survive better breed more. One is that hereditary traits make an animal more or less likely to survive.'

      that's what i meant by becoming dominant.

      'He postulates specifically that species subjected to a specific stress will adapt based upon these two mechanisms. He calls this, "evolution."'

      this is the part i dissagree with in his theories, because of what he studied, the differences were not that they had different genetics then their ancestors, but certain genes, some that may have lain dormant for generations, became more dominant based on the local environment (this is what i meant by regular genetic variation). this to me is not evolution, just adaptation, which are two different things.

      it's just like how there are so many races of people, yet we are all still humans; isolation from other groups, along with environmental conditions, provided for the different genes to become dominant and some genes that are dominant in one race are very rare, or non-existent in other races.

      i don't mean to start any arguments on evolution or anything, i know that i will believe what i will, just as anyone else is going to believe what they will, and that nobody will know who's right until death.

  4. Re:Makes me wonder by enitime · · Score: 4, Interesting
    "A human baby today raised outside of civilization will not only fail to understand civilization, but will never be *able* to understand it once past a certain age. Certain parts of the brain don't develop in the necessary ways if they aren't stimulated early enough, like full language ability."


    Sadly, there have been a number of cases. None of whom could fully integrated into society. Children raised by wolves, dogs, monkeys, and recently in the news... chickens (no really!).

    See Feral Children for more information.