Curious Cat Science and Engineering Blog » Two Butterfly Species Evolved Into Third

June 14, 2006

Two Butterfly Species Evolved Into Third

Butterfly photo

Two Butterfly Species Evolved Into Third, Study Finds by James Owen, National Geographic News:

Researchers say their creation reveals a process called hybrid speciation, in which the genes of two existing species combine to produce a third.

The study suggests hybridization may be more important to the evolution of new animals than had previously been thought.

Hybrids such as the mule, a cross between a donkey and a horse, are sterile. But the team says the butterfly hybrid brought together a combination of genes that allowed it to breed and there be considered a new species.

by curiouscat Tags: Life Science, Research, Science, Students
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One Response to “Two Butterfly Species Evolved Into Third”

CuriousCat: Evolution at Work - Blue Moon Butterfly Says:
July 12th, 2007 at 11:02 pm
It makes a great deal of sense that evolution would have such bursts under the right conditions. This seems an nearly perfect example of such conditions - if males can be produced they are going to have a large opening to reproduce and rapidly pass on a new tool to fight the bacteria…