Adriana Briscoe, University of California, Irvine
Why do some birds have colorful plumage and some butterflies colorful wings? Does the particular shade of blue on the Morpho's wing matter? Or will any shade of blue do the trick? This talk will explore the question of why animal colors are what they are through the lens of evolution. By focusing on the visual system, wing pig-mentation, and behavior of a mimetic butterfly, Heli-conius erato, the audience will learn how natural and sexual selection has the potential to drive the evolution of coloration and vision in animals.