THE GENETICS AND DEVELOPMENT OF AN EYESPOT PATTERN IN THE BUTTERFLY BICYCLUS-ANYNANA - RESPONSE TO SELECTION FOR EYESPOT SHAPE

The normally circular eyespots on the wing of the butterfly Bicyclus a nynana were selected to become elliptical in two divergent lines, with antero-posterior elongation of the eyespots in one line and proximodi stal elongation in the other. Selection was continued for nine generat ions, and symmetrical realized heritabilities of similar to 15% were a chieved initially. The elliptical eyespot shapes characteristic of eac h line were still produced when the signaling center of the eyespot (t he focus) was surgically rotated by 90 or 180 degrees or when an eyesp ot was induced ectopically by localized damage. We conclude that selec tion changed general properties of the epidermis that responds to sign als emanating from the eyespot focus but did not affect the mechanism of focal signaling.