McDowell Sonoran Conservancy: The How and Why of Butterfly Coloration

The spectacular diversity and richness of the coloration of butterflies has for centuries captivated both scientists and non-scientists alike. In this talk Dr. Rutowski will first overview scientific efforts to understand the mechanisms and developmental processes that are involved in the production of coloration during the life of an individual butterfly. Then he will discuss the many and fascinating ways that coloration may, from one generation to the next, enhance butterfly survival and reproduction, in other words, color’s function and evolution in butterflies. Work with butterflies has contributed greatly to the development of explanations that help us better understand coloration in all animals

Dr. Ron Rutowski is well known in the butterfly community and serves as the president of the Central Arizona Butterfly Association. Dr. Rutowski retired from Arizona State University where he was a zoology professor in the Department of Life Sciences from 1976 to 2016. He earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a doctorate in neurobiology and behavior from Cornell University. He remains professionally active in teaching and research. His research examines function and perception of bright coloration in animals as well as the mechanisms that produce coloration. Butterflies are a special focus of his studies.

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