Janzen and colleagues found evidence of genetic and morphological differences among populations of the neotropical skipper butterfly, Astraptes fulgerator, which led them to test whether it was a cryptic species. They discovered that there were distinct genetic clusters and differences in wing patterns among the populations, indicating potential cryptic species within A. fulgerator.

The implications of their findings are significant as it suggests that what was previously thought to be a single species may actually consist of multiple cryptic species. This has implications for conservation efforts, as different cryptic species may have different ecological requirements and conservation needs. It also highlights the importance of using genetic and morphological data to accurately assess species diversity, as relying solely on external appearances may lead to underestimating the true diversity of organisms. Overall, their findings emphasize the need for further research and conservation efforts to properly understand and protect the biodiversity within A. fulgerator.

allopatric speciation

The second law of thermodynamics states that when energy is converted from one form to another, some of that energy is converted to heat, which is a form of energy that is unusable by living organisms. Because of the second law, plants must photosynthesize and animals must eat to compensate for this continued loss of usable energy in cells.

B

D

A