What pattern suggests plumage color genes are shared among evolutionary neighbors in warblers?
Color evolution proceeded along distinct pathways, but the genes responsible were shared.
Studies on warbler genetics reveal a complex pattern where the evolution of visible traits, such as plumage coloration, appears to have followed distinct species-specific pathways in terms of phenotypic change. However, the underlying genetic material—the genes responsible for that color—were found to have been shared or exchanged among species that are considered evolutionary neighbors. This implies that the visible divergence in color masks an underlying history of genetic cooperation or introgression concerning the specific pigment genes, contrasting with other traits that might evolve independently or be constrained by selection against gene flow. This sharing suggests that the raw material for visible variation was being traded across nascent species boundaries.
