Infected butterflies lead geneticists up the garden path

For animal species that cannot be distinguished using their external characteristics, genetic techniques such as DNA barcoding can help to identify cryptic species. An international team of researchers led by the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research (UFZ) has brought out an article in the open-access journal PLOS ONE demonstrating how a bacterial infection can mimic cryptic speciation in butterflies. To avoid false results in the future, scientists recommend more in-depth genetic studies.

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