Camilo A. Salazar

This study shows how visual system adaptation in Heliconius butterflies leads to species divergence in perception and behavior due to ecological pressures.

This study uses genomic data to investigate rapid speciation in four endemic Atelopus species in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, finding recent divergence without gene flow and suggesting topography and ecological factors drove speciation.

This study shows that visual acuity improves during early adulthood in Heliconius butterflies through neural development, despite no change in eye structure, and that this maturation coincides with reproductive behaviors and is disrupted in hybrids.

This study examines two Neotropical butterfly radiations, revealing high rates of hybridization and chromosomal rearrangements as drivers of diversification.

This study identifies shared genetic mechanisms underlying convergent mimicry coloration in Lepidoptera, showing that non-coding regions near ivory and optix genes are consistently associated with color pattern switches across distantly related species.

The paper traces the evolution of cyanogenic glucoside biosynthesis in Heliconius butterflies, showing gene loss and duplication linked to plasticity-first evolution and specialization in sequestration.

The paper examines neuroanatomical changes in Heliconius butterflies during ecological speciation, finding heritable reductions in visual brain investment at high altitudes.

The paper shows that Heliconius butterflies with greater visual neural investment preferentially use visual cues over olfactory cues in conflicting sensory environments.

The paper identifies a novel gene, poikilomousa, that regulates color pattern switches in Heliconius butterflies and has evolved a new function from a conserved cell cycle regulator.

The paper identifies male sex pheromone components in Heliconius butterflies and shows they influence female mate choice through specialized scales called androconia.