Butterfly unlocks evolution secret

[tocqueville]

By Julianna Kettlewell
BBC News science reporter


The butterflies' wings offer clues to speciation
Why one species branches into two is a question that has haunted evolutionary biologists since Darwin.

Given our planet's rich biodiversity, "speciation" clearly happens regularly, but scientists cannot quite pinpoint the driving forces behind it.

Now, researchers studying a family of butterflies think they have witnessed a subtle process, which could be forcing a wedge between newly formed species.

The team, from Harvard University, US, discovered that closely related species living in the same geographical space displayed unusually distinct wing markings.

These wing colours apparently evolved as a sort of "team strip", allowing butterflies to easily identify the species of a potential mate.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4708459.stm

[HysteryDiagnosis]

1. Great article.... and I have seen this myself in the

human race as well....

[tocqueville]

2. so you think that punk rockers will ultimately breed into a

new human species ?

Homo punkensis ?

[HysteryDiagnosis]

3. Was thinking.... Punkus Maximus.... (for maximum punk effect) :)