The pigmentation of the morpho butterfly is a result of the microscopic shape of the scales which refract and diffract light. The actual pigmentation of those scales is not blue. If you took the DNA for the pigments in the butterfly scale you'd probably get some dull color.
This phenomenon is called "structural color"
The genetic and developmental pathway for butterfly scales is actually driven by what biologists call Notch signaling, which is the same signaling pathway that drives differentiation of the hair cells within your cochlear which you use for hearing.
LarsDu88|3 months ago
The pigmentation of the morpho butterfly is a result of the microscopic shape of the scales which refract and diffract light. The actual pigmentation of those scales is not blue. If you took the DNA for the pigments in the butterfly scale you'd probably get some dull color.
This phenomenon is called "structural color"
The genetic and developmental pathway for butterfly scales is actually driven by what biologists call Notch signaling, which is the same signaling pathway that drives differentiation of the hair cells within your cochlear which you use for hearing.
perching_aix|3 months ago