Publications by authors named "Lucie M Queste"
Article Synopsis
- Hybridization can facilitate the sharing of adaptations between different lineages and may lead to the emergence of new species, although clear cases of this phenomenon are uncommon.
- In a study of Heliconius butterflies, researchers found that Heliconius elevatus, a hybrid species, has independently evolved for over 180,000 years alongside its parent species, despite ongoing genetic mixing with one parent.
- The study highlighted that specific traits related to survival and reproduction, which were influenced by genetic contributions from both parent species, enabled H. elevatus to thrive in the same environment as its parents, demonstrating that speciation can occur even with gene flow in a complex genetic landscape.
Pervasive mimicry in flight behavior among aposematic butterflies.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
March 2024
Article Synopsis
- - Flight innovation in insects, particularly in neotropical heliconiine butterflies, is influenced by complex interactions between environmental and biological factors, complicating the understanding of its evolution.
- - A study of 351 butterflies revealed that flight patterns, such as wing beat frequency and angles, vary by color pattern mimicry affiliations, suggesting different flight components face different evolutionary pressures.
- - The findings indicate that predator-driven mimicry significantly influences flight characteristics and can lead to behavioral mimicry even between species that have diverged over tens of millions of years.
Article Synopsis
- Hybrids between certain species, like those of *Heliconius pardalinus*, tend to be sterile, particularly in females, which aligns with Haldane's rule that predicts hybrid unfitness primarily occurs in the heterogametic sex.
- The study focuses on a case of female hybrid sterility resulting from developmental issues in oocytes, revealing that the Z chromosome plays a significant role through complex interactions with other genetic loci.
- This research is groundbreaking as it utilizes genome mapping to understand hybrid sterility in Lepidoptera, confirming the involvement of multiple genes and supporting Haldane's rule's dominance theory.
Identifying the traits causing reproductive isolation and the order in which they evolve is fundamental to understanding speciation. Here, we quantify prezygotic and intrinsic postzygotic isolation among allopatric, parapatric, and sympatric populations of the butterflies Heliconius elevatus and Heliconius pardalinus. Sympatric populations from the Amazon (H.
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