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York Study Finds Same Genetic Switches Drive Convergent Warning Colors

5/5/2026

Summary

Story summary

University of York researchers reported that evolution used the same genetic tricks to produce similar warning colors.
Studying seven South American butterfly lineages and a day-flying moth, they found ivory and optix key and that evolution altered regulatory switches rather than the genes.
The moth’s large DNA inversion, also seen in one butterfly, and the PLoS Biology (2026) paper suggest convergent evolution can follow predictable pathways over 120 million years.

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Story summary

University of York researchers reported that evolution used the same genetic tricks to produce similar warning colors.
Studying seven South American butterfly lineages and a day-flying moth, they found ivory and optix key and that evolution altered regulatory switches rather than the genes.
The moth’s large DNA inversion, also seen in one butterfly, and the PLoS Biology (2026) paper suggest convergent evolution can follow predictable pathways over 120 million years.