Generating phenotypic variation:: prospects from evo-devo research on Bicyclus anynana wing patterns

Understanding the generation of phenotypic variation is an important challenge for modern evolutionary biology, and butterfly wing patterns are an exciting system that can shed some light on this issue. Here, we report on recent advances in the genetics of Bicyclus anynana butterflies. This system provides the potential for a fully integrated study of the evolutionary and developmental processes underlying diversity in morphology.