Latest News in the Business and Financial World

Wednesday, April 21, 2021
Log in
  • Home
  • Company News & Financials
  • OTC Markets
  • Tech & Science
  • Health & LifeStyle
  • About WS OTC
    • Analysts & Contributors
    • Contact Us
    • Advertising
    • Feedback
    • Privacy Policy GDPR
  • Mobile
  • Latest News
    • New Theories Explain the Disappearance of the Mayan Civilization
    • What Happens If Coral Reefs Die?
    • Monsanto Loses Lawsuit for its Herbicide Products
    • Mankind (MNKD) shares Plunge after FDA Approves Afrezza, inhaled Insulin for Diabetes patients
    • Psychologists Confirm that Violent Video Games Boost Aggressiveness
    • World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor Release Date on Nov 13
    • iPass Global Hotspot Map Unveils Worldwide Wi-fi Coverage

Pages

  • About Wall Street OTC
  • Advertising
  • Analysts & Contributors
  • Contact
  • Feedback
  • Mobile
  • Privacy Policy GDPR
  • Terms of Service

Recent Posts

  • SF Hospital Slaps New Parents with $19K Bill for Baby Treatment
  • Furious Trump Blasts Harley-Davidson for Moving Production Overseas
  • Warning! MRI Machines Could Poison You
  • Flight Attendants More Likely to Get Certain Cancers
  • More Red Meat Allergy Cases Related to Lone Star Tick Bites

Monarch butterflies’ incredible migrationSecret: A flight muscle related gene

Oct 4, 2014 By Christina Langfold Leave a Comment

Email, RSS Follow

monarch-butterflies-mexico_28112_990x742

The scientists got new insights into the incredible monarch butterflies and their migration behavior after they carried sequencing of their genome.

According to the scientists, a single flight muscle related gene plays a major role in the mass migration of the monarch butterflies.

During the study, the researchers also identified the gene responsible for the striking orange-and-black coloration of these butterflies.

Marcus Kronforst, a professor of ecology and evolution at the University of Chicago who also participated in the study, said, “It’s really amazing that these little colourful creatures live for months and fly thousands of miles to perform this annual migration.”

For the study to know their migrating behavior, the researchers sequenced genomes of 92 monarch butterflies worldwide including the non-migratory ones. Nine butterflies from closely related species were also included for the study.

The researchers compared the genetic blueprint of migratory monarch butterflies with the non-migratory ones in order find out the genetic basis for their migration.

“One gene really stood out from everything else in the genome,” Kronforst underlined.

According to the researchers, a gene related to collagen which is the main ingredient in connective tissue was responsible for their flight muscle function. It was surprising to note that the gene was found less active in migratory butterflies.

North America’s mass migration of monarch butterflies, covering a long stretch of e 3,000-mile (4,800-km), is one of the fantastic feats of the insects in the world. These little creatures cover millions of kilometers during their arduous journey from as far north as Canada to Mexico or the California coast every autumn season.

“Our study shows that monarchs have been doing this every year for millions of years. There is nothing else like this on the planet,” Kronforst asserted.

According to Kronforst, an estimated one billion monarch butterflies had migrated to Mexico in the year 1996. The number now stands at about 35 million this past winter.

The most probable reasons behind the huge loss in their numbers are loss of habitat, excessive human interference, overuse of pesticides that kill milkweed, and most importantly climate change, experts say.

The monarch butterflies are mainly a North American species but their delightful population can also be seen in Central America and South America. Notably, the insects living outside North America do not migrate.

The findings of the study were published in the journal Nature.

 

Email, RSS Follow
The following two tabs change content below.
  • Bio
  • Latest Posts

Christina Langfold

Remember that weird girl in school who never quite managed to fit in? Who was always silent and strange? That was me during my entire teenage life. A few years after finishing college (with a degree in arts) I decided that the best way to become more sociable, while also feeling safe, is to test my people skills online.

Latest posts by Christina Langfold (see all)

  • Scientists Discover the Second Fastest Spinning Pulsar In The Universe - Sep 9, 2017
  • Coral Reef Damage Scares Florida Keys Researchers and Businesses - Jun 26, 2017
  • Nike to Slash Global Workforce by 1,400 - Jun 16, 2017

Filed Under: Tech & Science Tagged With: Butterflies, gene, Monarch, monarch butterflies migration, monarch butterfly

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 72 other subscribers

Mom holding newborn's hands

SF Hospital Slaps New Parents with $19K Bill for Baby Treatment

Jun 29, 2018 By Anne-Marie Jackson Leave a Comment

Harley-Davidson biker

Furious Trump Blasts Harley-Davidson for Moving Production Overseas

Jun 28, 2018 By Anne-Marie Jackson Leave a Comment

MRI machine

Warning! MRI Machines Could Poison You

Jun 27, 2018 By Anne-Marie Jackson Leave a Comment

Flight Attendants More Likely to Get Certain Cancers

Jun 27, 2018 By Anne-Marie Jackson Leave a Comment

Lone star tick sitting on a succulent leaf

More Red Meat Allergy Cases Related to Lone Star Tick Bites

Jun 26, 2018 By Anne-Marie Jackson Leave a Comment

Time magazine cover

Time Admits Sobbing Cover Girl Was Not Separated from Parents

Jun 26, 2018 By Anne-Marie Jackson Leave a Comment

Sunshine and green leaves

Vitamin D Deficiency Could Boost Risk of Lung Disease

Jun 25, 2018 By Anne-Marie Jackson Leave a Comment

Green-light laser pointer

Greek Boy’s Retina Severely Damaged by Laser Pointer

Jun 22, 2018 By Anne-Marie Jackson Leave a Comment

Red Tesla car

Tesla Suing ‘Whistleblower’ over Data Theft

Jun 21, 2018 By Anne-Marie Jackson Leave a Comment

Boiled eggs and mayonnaise

Eating too Clean Can Lead to Orthorexia

Jun 20, 2018 By Anne-Marie Jackson Leave a Comment

NYC mayor Bill de Blasio

NYC Will Allow People to Smoke Pot in Public

Jun 20, 2018 By Anne-Marie Jackson Leave a Comment

A kitten and a puppy sleeping in a bed while hugging each other

Who Is Smarter Between Cats and Dogs? Researchers Have an Answer (Study)

Jun 19, 2018 By Anne-Marie Jackson Leave a Comment

Orthodox church in Greece

Being Religious Is Tied to Longer Lifespan, Study

Jun 19, 2018 By Anne-Marie Jackson Leave a Comment

Bacon and eggs for breakfast

How Does the Keto Diet Work?

Jun 18, 2018 By Anne-Marie Jackson Leave a Comment

Related Articles

  • A kitten and a puppy sleeping in a bed while hugging each other

    Who Is Smarter Between Cats and Dogs? Researchers Have an Answer (Study)

    Jun 19, 2018
  • Pluto and other transneptunian objects on a scale

    The Icy Transneptunian Objects Are Not Proof that Planet Nine Exists

    Jun 5, 2018
  • Sunny day

    Days Are Getting Longer as Moon Drifts Farther Away

    Jun 5, 2018
  • Coronal mass ejection

    NASA Scientist Building Solar Probe: ‘I See God’s Hand in the Wonders of Space’

    May 30, 2018
  • Steam Link device next to its box

    Apple Rejects Steam Link from the App Store Due to Unspecified Business Conflicts

    May 25, 2018
  • Two-headed deer

    Two-Headed Deer found in Minnesota Forest Baffles Scientists

    May 16, 2018
  • Woman watching the sea

    Hawaii Inching Closer to Banning Sunscreen

    May 9, 2018
  • Cows grazing

    In the Next 200 Years, Cows Will Be the Largest Mammals Left (Study)

    Apr 20, 2018
  • Nintendo Switch Ad

    Nintendo Switch Beats Wii U in Sales during Holiday Quarter

    Feb 1, 2018
  • Geminid Meteor Shower in Rural America

    December Meteor Shower Could Be the Most Spectacular This Year

    Dec 16, 2017

Categories

  • Business
  • Company News & Financials
  • Diversified Financial
  • Entertainment
  • Featured
  • Health & LifeStyle
  • Micro Cap
  • Mid Cap
  • National News
  • Nature
  • OTC Exchange
  • OTC Markets
  • OTC Research
  • Science
  • Small Cap
  • Sports
  • Tech & Science
  • U.S.
  • Uncategorized
  • Wall Street
  • World
  • World Indexes

Copyright © 2021 wallstreetotc.com

About · Privacy Policy · Sitemap · Terms of Service · Contact