How animals take in and react to information can often develop new species.
Researchers studies two closely related lineages of butterflies in Central and South American tropical forests. One species lives in deep forests, where lights are low. Another lives around forest edges, where light is abundant. Both butterfly lineages had different brain morphologies. Deep-forest butterflies invested more in the visual processing region of the brain.
The butterflies aren’t separated by huge distances and are closely related to each other. But their brains have adapted to their distinct environments. It is this process that is allowing the butterflies become different species. Also, brain genetics differ in the butterfly lineages - especially the visual processing areas - indicating just how fast these differences are evolving.
The study urges us to protect tropical forests - there are diverse environments within them, each supporting multiple species in small areas. Protect environmental diversity to protect species diversity.
Original article:
All in the head? Brains adapt to support new species
Original study:
Neural divergence and hybrid disruption between ecologically isolated Heliconius butterflies