Story perspectives

Atlas Blue Butterfly: 229 Chromosomes Challenge Evolutionary Norms

9/11/2025

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Summary

Story summary

The Atlas blue butterfly (Polyommatus atlantica) has the highest known chromosome count, with 229 pairs.
Its chromosome structure evolved through fragmentation over three million years.
Researchers from the Wellcome Sanger Institute and the Institute of Evolutionary Biology conducted the genomic study.
This unique arrangement challenges existing views on chromosomal rearrangements.
The butterfly faces conservation threats from environmental changes and human activities in Morocco and Algeria.

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Story summary

The Atlas blue butterfly (Polyommatus atlantica) has the highest known chromosome count, with 229 pairs.
Its chromosome structure evolved through fragmentation over three million years.
Researchers from the Wellcome Sanger Institute and the Institute of Evolutionary Biology conducted the genomic study.
This unique arrangement challenges existing views on chromosomal rearrangements.
The butterfly faces conservation threats from environmental changes and human activities in Morocco and Algeria.