By analyzing the genome sequences of 101 monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) from around the world, a team of genetic researchers headed by Dr Marcus Kronforst of the University of Chicago has identified a single gene that controls their striking coloration and another that appears central to long-distance migration of North American populations. Monarch butterflies cluster in Santa Cruz, California. Image credit: Brocken Inaglory / CC BY-SA 3.0. The...
