Contact: Beth King
kingb@si.edu
202-633-4700 x28216
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

Heliconius melpomene Wing Close-Up

Caption: Based on the new sequence, scientists found that different species copy each other's wing patterns by exchanging genes, a process thought to be very rare, especially in animals.

Credit: Mathieu Joron

Usage Restrictions: Credit: Mathieu Joron

Related news release: Heliconius butterfly genome explains wing pattern diversity