Evolution and bad-tasting butterflies

University of Florida research takes a look at the evolution of butterflies.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Competition for resources can cause animal species in an ecological community to evolve away from each other, becoming less similar — but University of Florida research shows that sometimes mutual benefit causes just the opposite.

Case in point: South American butterflies that discourage predators by advertising the message “we all taste bad” via similar, conspicuous color patterns.

Here is the paper itself in PLoS Biology.

About Brandon Haught

Communications Director for Florida Citizens for Science.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.