(040601 revised, 040601 created)
C. D. JIGGINS,*, C. ESTRADA & A. RODRIGUES (2004)
Mimicry and the evolution of premating isolation in Heliconius
melpomene Linnaeus
Journal of Evolutionary Biology
Volume 17 Issue 3 Page 680 - May 2004
Abstract
Ecological divergence can cause speciation if adaptive traits have pleiotropic effects on mate choice. In Heliconius butterflies, mimetic patterns play a role in mate detection between sister species, as well as signalling to predators. Here we show that male butterflies from four recently diverged parapatric populations of Heliconius melpomene are more likely to approach and court their own colour patterns as compared with those of other races. A few exceptions, where males were more attracted to patterns other than their own, suggest that some mimetic patterns are sub-optimal in mate choice. Genotype frequencies in hybrid zones between races of H. melpomene suggest that mating is random, so reinforcement is unlikely to have played a role in intra-specific divergence. In summary, co-evolved divergence of colour pattern and mate preference occurs rapidly and is likely the first step in Heliconius speciation.
Heliconius melpomene : English name: . Japanese name:メルポメネドクチョウ. 亜熱帯性ドクチョウ Heliconius erato と H. melpomene は、南アメリカ北部の広範囲に生息する。2種はミュラー型擬態をしており、同じ模様を持つものが捕食者へ学習されやすく有利なため、ひとつの翅パターンに収斂されると予想されるが，実際には多彩な翅パターンが維持されている。地理分布はモザイク状で、同じ地域では2種の翅パターンが酷似する。
pleiotropic : 1. Producing many effects. 2. Multiple effects from a single gene.
parapatric: Parapatric speciation occurs as follows: Suppose that a population initially existed in an area to which it was well adapted, and that it then started to expand into a contiguous area in which the environment favored a different form.
reinforcement: 補強