Complex modular architecture around a simple toolkit of wing pattern genes

Authors: Van Belleghem, Steven M and Rastas, Pasi and Papanicolaou, Alexie and Martin, Simon H and Arias, Carlos F and Supple, Megan A and Hanly, Joseph J and Mallet, James and Lewis, James J and Hines, Heather M and Ruiz, Mayte and Salazar, Camilo and Linares, Mauricio and Moreira, Gilson R. P. and Jiggins, Chris D. and Counterman, Brian A. and McMillan, W. Owen and Papa, Riccardo

Identifying the genomic changes that control morphological variation and understanding how they generate diversity is a major goal of evolutionary biology. In Heliconius butterflies, a small number of genes control the development of diverse wing colour patterns. Here, we used full-genome sequencing of individuals across the Heliconius erato radiation and closely related species to characterize genomic variation associated with wing pattern diversity. We show that variation around colour pattern genes is highly modular, with narrow genomic intervals associated with specific differences in colour and pattern. This modular architecture explains the diversity of colour patterns and provides a flexible mechanism for rapid morphological diversification.

Journal: Nature ecology & evolution
DOI: 10.1038/s41559-016-0052
Year: 2017

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