Neotropical butterflies in the genus Heliconius are unpalatable, aposematic, and they have undergone a recent adaptive radiation in wing color patterns as a consequence of natural selection for Müllerian mimicry. We are working to identify the molecular basis of the genes that control wing pattern diversity in Heliconius using a combination of high-resolution genetic mapping, fine-scale linkage disequilibrium mapping, and comparative analyses of gene expression. Currently, much of our work is focused on association mapping the color patterning loci K, Yb, and B/D in Heliconius cydno.
Marcus Kronforst, PhD
Department of Ecology & Evolution
University of Chicago
1101 E. 57th St.
Chicago, IL 60637
mkronforst@uchicago.edu