Beringia as a Gateway for Blue Butterflies
Author Information
Author(s): Roger Vila, Charles D. Bell, Richard Macniven, Benjamin Goldman-Huertas, Richard H. Ree, Charles R. Marshall, Zsolt Bálint, Kurt Johnson, Dubi Benyamini, Naomi E. Pierce
Primary Institution: Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University
Hypothesis
Did Beringia serve as a climate-regulated corridor for the dispersal of Polyommatus blue butterflies from Asia to the New World?
Conclusion
The study confirms that Beringia was a significant route for the dispersal of Polyommatus blue butterflies into the New World, influenced by climatic conditions.
Supporting Evidence
- The study supports Nabokov's hypothesis of five separate invasions of Polyommatus blues across Beringia.
- Ancestral temperature tolerances were reconstructed, showing that earlier colonizers were more warm-adapted.
- Climate change acted as a filter for which butterfly groups could colonize the New World.
Takeaway
This study shows that blue butterflies traveled from Asia to the Americas through a land bridge called Beringia, and climate changes helped determine which butterflies could make the journey.
Methodology
The study used molecular phylogeny, historical biogeography, and palaeoecology to analyze the dispersal of butterflies.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.01
Statistical Significance
p<0.01
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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