Title
Demystifying Monarch Butterfly Migration
UMMS Affiliation
Department of Neurobiology; Reppert Lab
Publication Date
2018-09-10
Document Type
Article
Disciplines
Neuroscience and Neurobiology
Abstract
Every fall, millions of North American monarch butterflies undergo a stunning long-distance migration to reach their overwintering grounds in Mexico. Migration allows the butterflies to escape freezing temperatures and dying host plants, and reduces infections with a virulent parasite. We discuss the multigenerational migration journey and its evolutionary history, and highlight the navigational mechanisms of migratory monarchs. Monarchs use a bidirectional time-compensated sun compass for orientation, which is based on a time-compensating circadian clock that resides in the antennae, and which has a distinctive molecular mechanism. Migrants can also use a light-dependent inclination magnetic compass for orientation under overcast conditions. Additional environmental features, e.g., atmospheric conditions, geologic barriers, and social interactions, likely augment navigation. The publication of the monarch genome and the development of gene-editing strategies have enabled the dissection of the genetic and neurobiological basis of the migration. The monarch butterfly has emerged as an excellent system to study the ecological, neural, and genetic basis of long-distance animal migration.
Keywords
monarch butterflies, migration
DOI of Published Version
10.1016/j.cub.2018.02.067
Source
Curr Biol. 2018 Sep 10;28(17):R1009-R1022. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.02.067. Link to article on publisher's site
Journal/Book/Conference Title
Current biology : CB
Related Resources
PubMed ID
30205052
Repository Citation
Reppert, Steven M. and de Roode, Jacobus C., "Demystifying Monarch Butterfly Migration" (2018). Neurobiology Publications and Presentations. 235.
https://escholarship.umassmed.edu/neurobiology_pp/235