Department of Zoology

 

Principal Investigators

Chris Jiggins

Position(s): University Lecturer

Email: c.jiggins(at)zoo.cam.ac.uk

Tel.: +44 (0)1223 769021

Research area - Evolution and Diversity

The genetic basis of adaption in natural populations and its role in speciation, mostly using mimetic tropical butterflies as model systems and including the following projects:

  • Genetic linkage mapping of the Heliconius genome to identify genes controlling mimetic patterns and other traits of interest
  • Population genetic studies of genomic regions controlling colour pattern
  • The ‘evo-devo’ of colour pattern genes in Heliconius
  • Identification of genes involved in insecticide resistance in the moth Plutella xylostella
  • Population genetic studies of a gene for resistance to a male killing bacteria in the butterfly Hypolimnas bolina (collaboration with Greg Hurst)
  • Using phylogenetic methods to reconstruct the relationships of species and test hypotheses concerning their divergence and evolution
  • Studying mating behaviour and especially the role of colour pattern in mate preferences

Research group - Butterfly Genetics Group

 

Selected publications

  • Joron, M, Papa, R, Beltrán, M, Chamberlain, N, Mavárez, J, Baxter, S, Bermingham, E, Humphray, S, Rogers, J, Beasley, H, Barlow, K, ffrench-Constant, R, Mallet, J, McMillan, WO, Jiggins, CD . (2006) A Conserved Supergene Locus Controls Colour Pattern Diversity in Heliconius Butterflies Plos Biology . Vol 4. Issue 10
  • Mavárez, J., Salazar, C., Bermingham, E., Salcedo, C., Jiggins, CD ., Linares , M. (2006) Speciation by hybridization in Heliconius butterflies Nature. 441 : 868-871.
  • Joron, M. Jiggins, CD. , Papanicolaou, A. McMillan, WO. (2006). Heliconius wing patterns: an evo-devo model for understanding phenotypic diversity Heredity. 97 : 157-167.
  • Jiggins, CD., Mallarino, R., Willmott, KW, Bermingham, E. (2006). The phylogenetic pattern of speciation and wing pattern change in neotropical Ithomia butterflies (Lepidoptera; Nymphalidae). Evolution. 60 :1454-1466.
  • Jiggins, C.D, Mavárez, J., Beltrán, M., W. O. McMillan, J.S. Johnston and E. Bermingham. (2005) A genetic linkage map of the mimetic butterfly, Heliconius melpomene . Genetics 171 : 557-570.
  • Jiggins, C. D., Estrada, C., & Rodrigues, A. (2004). Mimicry and the evolution of pre-mating isolation in Heliconius melpomene. Journal of Evolutionary Biology , 17 : 680-691.
  • Sweeney, A., Jiggins, C. & Johnsen, S. 2003. Insect communication: Polarized light as a butterfly mating signal. Nature. 423(6935): 31-32.
  • Jiggins, C.D ., Naisbit, R.E., Coe, R.L. & Mallet, J. 2001. Reproductive isolation caused by colour pattern mimicry. Nature. 411(6835): 302-305.