Evolution saves Samoan butterly
Published: July 13, 2007 at 9:45 PM
BERKELEY, Calif., July 13 (UPI) -- Evolution appears to have helped the male Hypolimnas bolina butterfly make a comeback on the islands of Samoa, researchers said.
Within 10 generations that spanned less than a year, the proportion of males of the Hypolimnas bolina butterfly on the South Pacific island of Savaii jumped from a meager 1 percent of the population to about 39 percent, the University of California, Berkeley, said Friday in a release.
The findings were published in the July 13 issue of the journal Science.
Lead author Sylvain Charlat of University College London and Berkeley said a parasite called Wolbachia was apparently killing male butterfly embryos.
The butterflies, commonly known as the Blue Moon or Great Eggfly butterfly, had nearly disappeared by 2001. By the end of 2006, however, the number of males had recovered.
Charlat said it appears the butterflies evolved rapidly to develop more suppressor genes that helped protect the males against the parasites.
"In the case of H. bolina, we're witnessing an evolutionary arms race between the parasite and the host," Charlat said. "This strengthens the view that parasites can be major drivers in evolution."
Within 10 generations that spanned less than a year, the proportion of males of the Hypolimnas bolina butterfly on the South Pacific island of Savaii jumped from a meager 1 percent of the population to about 39 percent, the University of California, Berkeley, said Friday in a release.
The findings were published in the July 13 issue of the journal Science.
Lead author Sylvain Charlat of University College London and Berkeley said a parasite called Wolbachia was apparently killing male butterfly embryos.
The butterflies, commonly known as the Blue Moon or Great Eggfly butterfly, had nearly disappeared by 2001. By the end of 2006, however, the number of males had recovered.
Charlat said it appears the butterflies evolved rapidly to develop more suppressor genes that helped protect the males against the parasites.
"In the case of H. bolina, we're witnessing an evolutionary arms race between the parasite and the host," Charlat said. "This strengthens the view that parasites can be major drivers in evolution."
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This material may not be reproduced, redistributed, or manipulated in any form.
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