Butterflies choose mates because they are more attractive, not just easier to see

Study links genetics, vision and neural processing to mating behavior in Heliconius butterflies

PLOS

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Evolution of mate preference in polymorphic butterflies. These white Heliconius cydno alithea butterflies are mating on a passionflower vine, but the male had a choice between white and yellow-winged females. Nicholas VanKuren, Nathan Buerkle, and their co-authors dive into the genetics and neurobiology of mate choice behavior and find surprising variation in the genome and the eye that correlates with male preference.

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Credit: Wei Lu (CC-BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

A simple neural change alters mating preferences in male butterflies, aiding rapid behavioral evolution, Nicholas VanKuren and Nathan Buerkle at the University of Chicago, US, and colleagues, report March 11th in the open-access journal PLOS Biology.

Heliconius are a group of tropical butterflies known for their wide variety of wing patterns and colors, which act as a warning to predators. Because wing coloration is crucial for their survival, males have evolved a preference for females with the same wing color. But the sensory and neurological mechanisms behind these preferences are poorly understood.

Researchers investigated the genetic and sensory mechanisms behind mate preferences in two subspecies of Heliconius cydno butterflies that have either yellow or white patches on their wings. They identified four genomic regions linked to both wing color and mate preference, including the ‘K locus’, which has also been associated with these traits in other Heliconius butterflies. Next, they investigated gene expression patterns in the retina, optic lobe and brain at different stages of development. They found seven genetic variants that were located in genomic regions associated with mate preference, and were also expressed at significantly different levels in yellow and white males, making them strong candidates for influencing mating preferences. To understand how males perceive different wing colors, they investigated the color sensitivity and activity of photoreceptors in the butterflies’ eyes. They found that green-sensitive photoreceptors inhibited the activity of most UV-sensitive photoreceptors in males which preferred yellow-winged females but comparatively few in other butterflies. This relatively simple modification of the peripheral nervous system could provide a physiological basis for altering the perception and attractiveness of the two wing colors.

The results show that the butterflies’ mate preferences result from differences in how sensory information is processed. This suggests that male Heliconius cydno butterflies find females with a matching wing color more attractive, not just easier to see. Inhibitory relationships between photoreceptors are easily evolvable, which may facilitate rapid behavioral evolution, the authors say.

The authors add, “Our work generated a striking picture of how a critical visual behavior - mate choice - is controlled, from variation in the connections between neurons in the eye down to genetic variation across the genome.”

 

In your coverage, please use this URL to provide access to the freely available paper in PLOS Biology: https://plos.io/416TwUA  

Citation: VanKuren NW, Buerkle NP, Lu W, Westerman EL, Im AK, Massardo D, et al. (2025) Genetic, developmental and neural changes underlying the evolution of butterfly mate preference. PLoS Biol 23(3): e3002989. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3002989

Author countries: United States

Funding: see manuscript

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Journal

PLOS Biology

DOI

10.1371/journal.pbio.3002989 

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

Animals

 

Research reveals ways to keep emergency responders safe in future pandemics

Findings show significant links between airport-based first responders’ perceptions of COVID-19 and their experiences with it

Texas A&M University

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One category of first responders had close, daily contact with travelers during the COVID-19 pandemic: aircraft rescue and firefighting personnel. Now, the first study of its kind reveals that those workers who perceived themselves as more susceptible to COVID-19 reported more COVID-19 infections during the pandemic.

“These personnel not only respond to fires and other emergencies onboard aircraft, but also provide medical assistance to anyone on the tarmac and within the airport terminals throughout the United States — and they do this 24 hours a day, every day,” said Aurora Le, who led the study, which was published in the journal WORK: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment & Rehabilitation. “They are often overlooked in the first responder research, however, despite having had a higher risk for COVID-19 exposure.”

Aircraft rescue and firefighting personnel, the only U.S. civilian fire protection service personnel regulated by the government, are staffed based on airport capacity and number of daily departures. For example, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, currently the world’s busiest airport, has about 260 of these workers to handle an average of 286,000 passengers on about 2,100 arrivals and departures daily.

“We wanted to find out how those who reported being diagnosed with the virus early in the pandemic perceived their risk for contracting it, the steps they took to prevent this and the resources available to them for doing so,” said Le, with the Texas A&M University School of Public Health.

For their study, conducted in April 2021 — one year into the pandemic — Le and colleagues from Indiana University and Indiana State University conducted an online, cross-sectional survey of 155 aircraft rescue and firefighting personnel who had had tested positive for COVID-19. Participants were recruited through the group’s email listserv. More than 83 percent of participants had not tested positive for COVID-19 at the time of the survey. More than 92 percent were male, and the majority were white, middle-aged and reported that their health was good.

Safety behaviors were measured through a validated, three-item safety compliance scale from Neal and Griffin for safety compliance, safety participation, mask use at work and mask use in public. Perceived risk of being infected with COVID-19 was measured using items from the Risk Behavior Diagnosis Scale, as adapted by Zhang and colleagues to measure this specific risk perception.

Resources for the prevention of COVID-19 at participants’ workplaces were adopted from the Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers survey. Six statements were used to measure training effectiveness, and nine items were used to measure resource adequacy. Participants also provided demographic data and information about the state of their health before COVID-19.

The team found significant associations between participants’ perceived risk factors of COVID-19, which include perceived severity and perceived susceptibility, and the COVID-19 outcome. Perceived susceptibility was associated with increased likelihood of COVID-19, but perceived severity was associated with decreased likelihood of reported COVID-19.

“Our main takeaway is that these first responders would improve their likelihood of preventing infection if they had more relevant information about a disease, more physical and emotional resources for prevention, and more support to shape their perceptions of risk and their behaviors for prevention,” Le said.

Le added that these findings have implications for all kinds of illnesses, not just respiratory diseases such as the one studied.

“Stronger communication about the risk of any disease could lead more of these workers to engage in protective behaviors, and increasing the focus on risk severity within interventions could be a way to prevent injuries among these workers,” she said.

In addition, those who supervise emergency response workers should focus on infection control outcomes, Le said. These could include relevant information, physical resources such as training, and personal protective equipment and mental health resources such as employee assistance programs.

“While our study was cross-sectional, so causation cannot be inferred, it did demonstrate significant associations between these emergency responders’ perceived risk factors for COVID-19 and their actual outcomes during the early pandemic,” Le said. “This information could help inform approaches to keeping these workers safe during future respiratory and other pandemics.”

By Ann Kellett, Texas A&M University School of Public Health

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Journal

WORK A Journal of Prevention Assessment &amp Rehabilitation

DOI

10.3233/WOR-230316 

Method of Research

Survey

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

The impact of safety behavior, perceived risk, and workplace resources on COVID outcomes for U.S. Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting personnel

 

Weathering the storm: Professor’s new book explores how local governments can adapt and recover from natural disasters

Komla Dzigbede's "Natural Disasters and Local Resiliency" now available

Binghamton University

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Komla Dzigbede, chair and associate professor of CCPA Public Administration and Policy at the College of Community and Public Affairs at Binghamton Univerity, State University of New York

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Credit: Binghamton Univerity, State University of New York

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. -- It’s no secret that global climate disasters are worsening every year — the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires are estimated to have caused $30 billion in damages alone. While some researchers and practitioners focus on immediate action, others are looking to the future.

“Resiliency speaks to the very survival of jurisdictions,” said Komla Dzigbede, associate professor and chair of the Department of Public Administration and Policy at Binghamton University. “The very survival of the residents, the local infrastructure, the local government and its assets are on the line. If there are things they can do to better prepare, respond and recover from natural disasters, then they should put in all the effort that’s needed into these resiliency practices.”

Resiliency — which he describes as the ability of a government to learn, adapt and innovate in the face of major crisis, while maintaining public services in a sustainable manner — is at the core of Dzigbede’s research.  

Dzigbede’s new book, “Natural Disasters and Local Resiliency,” was released in February 2025. Co-written by Sarah Beth Gehl and Katherine G. Willoughby, it revolves around the increase in number, strength and frequency of natural disasters globally; the authors interview local government managers — many who may be the next to experience a disaster — to examine the lessons that they can use as they attempt to prevent, prepare, respond and recover from these events. The book’s major goal is to serve as a resource for practitioners at the local level leading government services and programs. 

“While the federal government might provide support, and state government might provide the laws, regulations and support systems, local governments are at the forefront of natural disaster management. They are closest to the residents and face a lot of the initial challenge of dealing with all the ills that come with natural disasters,” he said. “We went beyond the statistical data on natural disasters to interview local governments who have experienced different forms of disasters over the years. We tapped into their experiences to draw lessons that will help other local governments and ensure economic recovery following a disaster. The insights that local leaders shared were very powerful.”

An expert in state and local public finance and international economic policy, Dzigbede’s research spans a variety of topics, including debt issuance, debt refinancing, budget system effectiveness, tax reform, financial market regulation and sustainable economic development.

He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from the University of Ghana and a doctorate in public policy from the Georgia State University. He is the editor-in-chief of the Public Finance & Management journal. He began at Binghamton University in 2016 as an assistant professor and filled his current role in 2022. He is also the recipient of the IBM Center for the Business of Government Research Grant (2020).

“I found my way into this type of research, and was inspired by the way I grew up, in a developing country. I saw first-hand the big gap that exists between those who have and those who do not,” Dzigbede said. “I was also particularly intrigued about how to manage economic and financial resources, so there will be equity in their distribution and use, so people can have the basics and thrive in sustainable communities. And so those motivations generally inform my research.”

Although the book focuses on U.S. local governments, the material is relevant to local leaders everywhere. For example, the book addresses the 2006 and 2011 flooding in Binghamton. It also describes economic recovery scenarios that can be useful for understanding the potential economic recovery pathways for the municipalities that experienced the deadly L.A. wildfires.

“We analyzed natural disaster preparedness and the immediate response, and the path for economic development post-disaster. We went back to the data on local revenues and expenditure, and we tried to track specific types of expenses pre-, during and post-disaster to see how expenditure patterns changed, if any. Are there more construction activities going on post-disaster? Are the expenditures related to long term economic development, or is the municipality simply spending on routine day-to-day operations and merely trying to survive? Importantly, we also trace back to the minutes of the city council, to capture the decision-making patterns of the council members, especially during and immediately following a major disaster in the municipality.”

Cover for the book "Natural Disasters and Local Resiliency" written by Binghamton University's Komla Dzigbede.

Credit

Rowman & Littlefield

From an economic recovery context, if things were to have gone normally, there will be a “normal” trend for economic development locally. When a natural disaster takes place, that throws a wrench into the natural path for development. Afterward, a few options may occur — there may be no recovery; a divot of loss with a recovery back to the trend; the jurisdiction may “build back better,” meaning that they’ve been able to learn from the experience and adjust their infrastructure systems or their disaster preparedness.

Finally, there’s a path that’s called “creative destruction.” This is such a positive outcome that it surpasses the build back better option. According to Dzigbede, this positive outcome can be the case for the jurisdictions affected by the L.A. wildfires — integrating lessons from the bad experience they’ve had and building that into their systems and mechanisms.

“Of course, for many jurisdictions, there will be a slowdown period. It will take them some time to recover, gain momentum, and then build,” he said. “If we were to gauge time on an annual basis, or a medium-term basis of three to five years, economic dips will be temporary for many jurisdictions. That’s the idea behind creative destruction — that the support systems are so immediate that the jurisdiction is able to recover quickly.”

Dzigbede is hopeful that his research will fulfill a need that is becoming more and more relevant every day, and that local leaders across the world will gain valuable insight from the experiences of local managers who are at the frontlines of natural disaster management.

“We’ve gone to the people at the front lines of disaster management to seek their views on what strategies might be most effective, and these people have provided a framework that we feel should be disseminated near and far to help people in other places prepare for the next disaster,” he said. “There’s much value here, because it goes beyond the theoretical, into the practical. It pops into the mindsets and thinking of people at the front lines and how they foresee effective management; hopefully, local governments everywhere will benefit from documented experience."

More than marks: How wellbeing shapes academic success


University of South Australia


With Australia’s National Assessment Program (NAPLAN) beginning today, new research from the University of South Australia highlights a critical but often overlooked factor in student success – wellbeing.

In a world first* study of more than 215,000 students, UniSA researchers found that while standardised tests measure academic skills, different dimensions of wellbeing - emotional wellbeing, engagement, and learning readiness - can play a crucial role in performance.

Specifically, the study found that learning readiness ­- which includes foundational skills such as perseverance, confidence, and engagement - was not just a desirable outcome, but a catalyst for academic success.

UniSA researcher Dr Rebecca Marrone says there is an intricate relationship between student wellbeing and academic achievement.

“Wellbeing is increasingly recognised as a crucial factor that can shape students’ academic success and overall development. Yet, it is often overlooked because education systems tend to focus on standardised academic achievement,” Dr Marrone says.

“In this research we show how wellbeing factors, particularly learning readiness, can influence students’ learning and academic performance, especially when under test conditions.

“When we talk about learning readiness, we mean how prepared a child is to learn, not just academically, but also in their ability to stay focused, to overcome challenges, and believe in their ability to succeed. It’s about having good learning habits, and a motivation to learn, which together can help them perform better at school.”

This study draws on data from the South Australian Wellbeing and Engagement Collection (WEC) to assess the impact of student wellbeing and engagement of students in Years 4-10, and their academic achievement in NAPLAN and PAT tests between 2016-2019.
UniSA’s Benjamin Lam says the results show that schools need to shift towards a model that values both student wellbeing and academic achievement as integral components of a holistic education.

“Student learning is complex, and it is affected by a range of contextual and individual differences,” Lam says.

“When students are mentally and emotionally healthy, they’re more likely to be engaged and motivated and perform better academically. But the relationship is certainly not linear, and we can’t infer that low-achieving students have low levels of wellbeing, or high-achieving students have high levels of wellbeing.

“This means that schools must look beyond test scores and take a more personal, holistic approach to supporting students’ confidence, perseverance and learning readiness.

“They can do this by adopting learner profiles that incorporate wellbeing and engagement metrics alongside traditional grades, so that schools can better understand and respond to each student’s needs.

“Now, as students prepare for their pending NAPLAN tests, this research serves as a reminder that education is about more than just scores - it’s about building confidence, resilience, and readiness to learn.”

Department for Education Chief Executive Martin Westwell says that learning and thriving go hand-in-hand, and both must be supported by schools.

“Academic achievement and learning readiness are intrinsically interconnected, and that is recognised through our Strategy for Public Education,” Westwell says.

“We not only have to build the academic knowledge of each student, but also build their confidence, resilience, and engagement to ensure they thrive both at school and in life beyond that.

“This research highlights that it is critical to have a well-rounded picture of young people to help them succeed at school.”

Minister for Education, Training and Skills, Blair Boyer says South Australia is focused on supporting mental health and wellbeing in schools.

“If a student is struggling with their mental health, we know they will be less able to focus on school, they lose connection with their friends and they start to disengage from study,” Boyer says.

“This research from UniSA – the first of its kind in the world – confirms that South Australia’s focus on mental health and wellbeing in public education, supports academic achievement.

“That’s why we have invested $50 million to recruit 100 mental health and learning support specialists who are based on-site at schools – the largest investment of its kind. By addressing concerns at the coalface, we have the best chance of supporting our students to achieve academically.”

Notes to editors:

*This study is believed to be the world’s most extensive dataset linking wellbeing and academic outcomes in primary and secondary education.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Journal

Journal of Learning Analytics

DOI

10.18608/jla.2024.8357

Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

The Relationship between Wellbeing and Academic Achievement: A Comprehensive Cross-Sectional Analysis of System Wide Data From 2016-2019

HBCU students show better mental health outcomes despite support gaps, new report finds

The findings reveal a complex picture of student well-being at historically Black colleges and universities

University of Michigan School of Public Health

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ANN ARBOR—Black students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs) experience better mental health outcomes in several key areas compared to their peers at other institutions, while also facing distinct challenges that require attention, say University of Michigan School of Public Health researchers involved in a new report published this week.

Titled "Community, Culture, and Care: A Cross-Institutional Analysis of Mental Health Among HBCU and PBI Students," the report was developed in partnership with the United Negro College Fund Institute for Capacity Building, the Steve Fund, and the Healthy Minds Network. 

Since 2007, the Healthy Minds Network, based at the University of Michigan, has administered the Healthy Minds Study—an annual survey of college student mental health. More than 850,000 college students across 600-plus colleges and universities have participated. Researchers from the University of California-Los Angeles, Wayne State University, and Boston University partner with the University of Michigan on the annual survey.

To provide additional insight into the Black college student experience, the team collaborated to develop and administer a supplemented version of the Healthy Minds Study with a new module specifically assessing themes, constructs, risk factors, and protective factors.

“It is essential to elevate the unique experiences, strengths, and challenges of HBCU students in conversations about mental health and wellbeing,” said Akilah Patterson, a PhD student in the Department of Health Behavior & Health Equity at the University of Michigan School of Public Health and the lead researcher for the report. “At this pivotal moment in college student wellbeing, the voices of Black students should not only be heard, but also supported and acted upon. This research paves the way for more action.”

Examining responses from 2,504 students across 16 HBCUs and two PBIs revealed significant differences in mental health metrics compared to national averages:

• 45% of HBCU/PBI students reported flourishing mentally, compared to 36% of college students nationally
• 83% reported a sense of belonging in their campus community, versus 73% nationally
• HBCU/PBI students showed significantly lower rates of anxiety, eating disorders, and substance use compared to national averages

In addition to national averages, the report details comparative data on Black students at small, predominantly white institutions. The HBCU/PBI sample of students generally reported higher rates of mental health and well-being when compared to this group as well.

Despite these notably positive outcomes in several areas, crucial gaps and pressing challenges emerged from the data.

Financial concerns topped the list of stressors, with more than half of students reporting their financial situation as "always" or "often" stressful. The impact proved significant: 78% of financially stressed students experienced mental health problems, compared to just 26% of those who were financially secure. More than a quarter of students reporting high levels of financial stress also reported suicidal ideation in the past year.

A crucial gap in mental health support was also identified, with 54% of HBCU students reporting unmet mental health needs—significantly higher than the national average of 41%.

Based on these findings, several opportunities for colleges and universities to enhance student support include:

• Addressing the high rate of unmet mental health needs
• Developing strategies to alleviate financial stress
• Expanding on-campus mental health resources
• Strengthening connections between students and faculty support

According to Justin Heinze, co-principal investigator of the Healthy Minds Network and an associate professor of Health Behavior & Health Equity at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, student voices from HBCUs and other PBIs have been historically underrepresented in mental health research. "Findings from this study do point to important differences from our national sample which tells me we can't implement a 'one size fits all' approach to addressing college student mental health," he said.

In addition to Patterson, the authors of the new report are Healthy Minds Study team members Erin Voichoski and Juliana Fucinari of the University of Michigan; and Victoria Smith from the United Negro College Fund Institute for Capacity Building. Voichoski, Fucinari, and Smith were integral in the data analysis process, report writing, and qualitative data collection.

• Read the report: Community, Culture and Care: A Cross-Institutional Analysis of Mental Health Among HBCU and PBI Students 
• Learn more from the UNCF press release
• Related Healthy Minds Study: College students’ mental health improving, more finding support

 

Growth rates of broilers contribute to behavior differences, shed light on welfare impacts

Slow-growing broilers exhibited behavior more linked to positive welfare than conventional ones, recent study showed

University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture

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Rosie Whittle, a poultry science postdoctoral fellow with the Center for Animal Food Wellbeing and the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Life, and Food Sciences, worked on a study examining conventional and slow-growing broilers by tracking their behaviors to see how they exhibit positive welfare.

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Credit: Image courtesy of Rosie Whittle

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — As poultry companies weigh cost and efficiency with higher animal welfare standards, research comparing conventional and slow-growing broiler breeds showed that the slow-growing chickens displayed behaviors more closely associated with positive welfare.

Broilers — chickens specifically bred for meat production — are typically raised for six to eight weeks, while slow-growing broilers need up to 12 weeks to reach maturity.

Though gaining popularity in some European markets, slow-growing broilers have not seen the same market expansion in the United States, as they take longer to reach market weight than conventional broilers.

“The economic impact to the broiler industry raises the question: 'Why would you want to use a broiler that is going to eat more food, grow slower, and cost more to produce?'” said Rosie Whittle, poultry science postdoctoral fellow with the Center for Food Animal Wellbeing and the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences at the University of Arkansas.

Whittle, alongside Shawna Weimer, assistant professor of poultry science and director of the Center for Food Animal Wellbeing, set out to explore this question facing industry leaders who are weighing the choice of conventional versus slow-growing broilers.

Weimer conducts research for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, part of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. The Center for Food Animal Wellbeing is a unit of the Division of Agriculture.

Their work explored the impacts of genetic strain, stocking density, and, most importantly, the comparison of physiological versus chronological age between the two genetic strains on broiler behavior. Genetic strain, or the specific breed of chicken, defines whether broilers are conventional or slow growing. Stocking density represents the number of birds in a specific area.

Researchers reviewed video recordings of the birds at specified intervals to track behaviors, such as walking, standing, and preening, which are signs of positive animal welfare. Preening is when a bird uses its beak to clean its feathers.

Their study, “Effects of genetic strain, stocking density, and age on broiler behavior,” was published in Poultry Science, an official journal of the Poultry Science Association.

Results of the study revealed that a larger percentage of slow-growing broilers were observed standing, walking, and preening, while more conventional broilers sat in a lateral posture. The effects of stocking density were minimal, so the number of birds in an area did not have a significant impact on broiler behavior.

Detailing bird behavior

Weimer pointed out that “animal welfare is quite dynamic” and emphasized that further investigations of broiler behavior should be undertaken. Whittle also stressed that their research was focused on understanding the effects of growth rate on broiler behavior, not necessarily what is best for companies or consumers.

Whittle also noted that the study focused on two types of broilers, but “all genetics companies have a different recipe for chickens.” Therefore, in tracking behavior, it is important to be aware of the possibility that “one genetic strain of broiler behaves completely different to the other,” she said.

Whittle said further research is required because “it’s always important to expand so we’re not just generalizing based on two specific genotypes.”

Co-authors of the work included Darrin Karcher and Marisa Erasmus, both associate professors of animal sciences at Purdue University. Weimer serves as corresponding author, meaning she is responsible for communication and questions about the publication.

The project was supported by Purdue University’s Department of Animal Sciences and the Center for Food Animal Wellbeing. The animal care staff at Purdue University’s Poultry Unit, Olivia Walton, Heidi Rinehart, and Nathan Griffith also contributed to the work.

To learn more about the Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website. Follow us on X at @ArkAgResearch, subscribe to the Food, Farms and Forests podcast and sign up for our monthly newsletter, the Arkansas Agricultural Research Report. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. Follow us on X at @AgInArk. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu.

About the Division of Agriculture

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.

The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three system campuses.

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

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Journal

Poultry Science

DOI

10.1016/j.psj.2024.104723 

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Effects of genetic strain, stocking density, and age on broiler behavior