A monarch butterfly about to emerge from its chrysalis. (Photo credit: Jaap de Roode)
Monarch butterflies originated in North America 20,000 years ago at the end of the last glacial maximum before dispersing out to locations around the world, a new study shows. The authors sequenced the whole genome of 101 monarch butterflies from around the world to better understand the genetic basis of its migration patterns.
The researchers also found that monarch’s distinct bright orange colour is controlled by a single gene not found in any other insects.
Original research paper published in the journal Nature on October 1 , 2014.
Names and affiliations of selected authors
