Repeated evolution of reduced visual investment at the onset of ecological speciation in high-altitude <i>Heliconius</i> butterflies.

ABSTRACT: Colonization of new habitats is typically followed by divergent selection acting on traits that are immediately important for fitness. For example, differences between sensory environments are often associated with variation in sensory traits critical for navigation and foraging. However, the extent to which the initial response to novel sensory conditions is mediated by phenotypic plasticity, and the contribution of sensory or neural adaptation to early species divergence remains unclear. We took advantage of repeated cases of speciation in Heliconius butterflies with independent allopatric distributions in the west of the Colombian and Ecuadorian Andes. Using volumetric brain measurements, we analyzed patterns of investment in primary sensory processing areas of the brain across d

SUBMITTER: Rivas-Sanchez DF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12448208 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature