A long-standing assumption about evolution is being challenged by new research showing that vastly different species can rely on the same genetic pathways to develop similar traits.
Scientists have discovered that evolution has relied on the same genetic “cheat sheet” for more than 120 million years, suggesting that the development of life on Earth may follow more predictable patterns than once assumed.
An international research team led by the University of York and the Wellcome Sanger Institute examined several distantly related butterfly and moth species from South American rainforests. Despite their evolutionary distance, these insects share strikingly similar wing color patterns that serve as warnings to predators, a strategy known as mimicry.
The researchers set out to identify the genes responsible for these shared patterns across seven species. They found that, even though the species are not closely related, they repeatedly relied on the same two genes, ivory and optix, to produce nearly identical appearances.
The Genetic Mechanisms Behind Similarity
Rather than changes within the genes themselves, the differences arose in regulatory regions that act as switches, controlling when and where the genes are activated. In a surprising twist, the moth species used an inversion mechanism, where a large section of DNA flips in orientation. This is nearly the same genetic strategy observed in one of the butterfly species.
Professor Kanchon Dasmahapatra, from the University of York’s Department of Biology, said: “Convergent evolution, where many unrelated species independently evolve the same trait, is common across the tree of life. But we rarely have the opportunity to investigate the genetic basis of this phenomenon.
“Investigating seven butterfly lineages and a day-flying moth, we show that evolution can be surprisingly predictable, and that butterflies and moths have been using the exact same genetic tricks repeatedly to achieve similar color patterns since the age of the dinosaurs.”
Evolution May Be More Predictable
The findings, published in PLoS Biology, indicate that evolution is not purely random but can follow repeatable genetic paths.
Professor Joana Meier, from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, said: “These distantly related butterflies and the moth are all toxic and distasteful to birds trying to eat them. They look very much alike because if birds have already learned that a specific color pattern means “do not eat, we are toxic,” it is beneficial for other species to display the same warning colors.
“Here, we show that these warning colors are particularly ideal as it seems quite easy to evolve these same color patterns due to the highly conserved genetic basis over 120 million years.”
Recognizing that evolution can follow consistent pathways, rather than occurring entirely by chance, could help scientists better anticipate how species will respond to environmental changes, including climate change.
Reference: “Genetic parallelism underpins convergent mimicry coloration in Lepidoptera across 120 million years of evolution” by Yacine Ben Chehida, Eva S. M. van der Heijden, Edward Page, Patricio A. Salazar C, Neil Rosser, Kimberly Gabriela Gavilanes Córdova, Mónica Sánchez-Prado, María José Sánchez-Carvajal, Franz Chandi, Alex P. Arias-Cruz, Maya Radford, Gerardo Lamas, Chris D. Jiggins, James Mallet, Melanie McClure, Camilo Salazar, Marianne Elias, Caroline N. Bacquet, Nicola J. Nadeau, Kanchon K. Dasmahapatra and Joana I. Meier, 30 April 2026, PLOS Biology.
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3003742
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