How the Butterfly Gets Its Spots
And what they tell us about fate
By Susan Milius
Paul Brakefield is a world authority on spots. His laboratory team delves into wide-ranging questions about the circles and dots on butterfly wings: What genes change the spotsâ size? Do different spots evolve separately or in concert? What kinds of spots wow the opposite sex? Brakefield argues that butterfly wings, particularly their freckles, offer science a rare opportunity. Theyâre good for experiments in an unusually wide range of scientific disciplines, so researchers can combine insights and deepen their understanding of how evolution works.
Several labs, including Brakefieldâs at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands, are illuminating the genetics of wing patterns. These scientists can take advantage of findings in a less picturesque but thoroughly studied insectâthe fruit fly. One group is even making progress on creating transgenic butterflies with fluorescent proteins in their tissue.