Book 17, Question 130
How Can Two Look-Alike Rainforest Animals Turn Out to Be Different Species?
Two animals can look almost the same and still be different species! Scientists look at calls, DNA, and who the animals mate with. Look-alike species are called cryptic species.
More fun facts
- A skipper butterfly called Astraptes fulgerator was first described by scientists in 1775 and was thought to be one common, widespread species.
- Scientists combined 25 years of field notes from northwestern Costa Rica with careful study of museum specimens.
- They also compared the butterflies' DNA, using a method called DNA barcoding.
- Together, the clues showed that this one butterfly is really at least 10 different species in that region.
- The hidden species mostly eat different food plants as caterpillars, and their caterpillars mostly look different too.
- The adult butterflies look almost the same, with only tiny differences between the species.
- Species that look alike but are truly different are called cryptic species, and they seem to be common in the tropics.
- The study showed that DNA barcoding is especially useful when it is combined with old fashioned observation and museum work.
Sources: europepmc.org
Questions kids ask
Do the hidden Astraptes species live in the same places?
Mostly yes. They live largely in the same areas but have somewhat different habitat preferences.