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The same gene, it turns out.
In two separate papers published in Nature, scientists examined British peppered moths, which were once mostly pale but turned black to camouflage themselves, and Heliconius butterflies from South America, which are known for their bright, colourful wing patterns.
In both cases, changes in a single gene called cortex were responsible for the colour variations, which have played a crucial role in the insects' evolution and survival.
"These two distantly-related species use the same gene to achieve a different result," said Dr Megan Supple, a postdoctoral student at the Australian National University and co-author of the study focused on the South American species.
Moths and butterflies both belong to the order of insects known as Lepidoptera.
Nearly all of the 160,000 types of moth and 17,000 types of butterfly have different wing patterns, which are made up of tiny coloured scales.
Dr Supple said while moths and butterflies had been studied for decades, the underlying genetic mechanism that drove changes in their appearance was only just being unlocked.
"It's really the new genomic techniques that have allowed us to make progress," she said.
Light (typica) and dark (carbonaria) morphs of the peppered moth.
British pepper moths (Biston betularia) were predominantly light in hue and blended in with lichen-covered trees for protection, but when soot blackened tree trunks in 19th century industrial Britain, they became darker to match their habitat and avoid detection by birds.
They use these colour patterns to warn predators that they're unpalatable. So a bird will try to eat one, won't like how it tastes and won't eat that colour pattern again.
"The first reported sighting of the [dark] carbonaria form is generally regarded as having occurred in 1848 in Manchester, although the wording of the record implies that it was rare but not completely unknown at this time," wrote the researchers of the moth study.
The researchers, led by Dr Ilik Saccheri of the University of Liverpool, found the colour change was due to the insertion of a large piece of DNA onto the cortex gene.
By tracing the moth's family tree, the researchers estimated the genetic mutation occurred around 1819.
It is an example of the phenomenon known as "industrial melanism", which refers to the tendency of species to adapt to industrial surroundings by darkening in colour.
A Heliconius erato cyrbia butterfly feeding on a flower in Ecuador.
Heliconius butterfly species, on the other hand, do not seek to camouflage themselves but rather stay visible by mimicking one another as a form of collective defence.
"They use these colour patterns to warn predators that they're unpalatable. So a bird will try to eat one, won't like how it tastes and won't eat that colour pattern again," said Dr Supple.
"It allows multiple species to kind of share the cost of educating predators … so all of those species are jointly educating the predator that they don't taste good."
Dr Supple and colleagues led by Dr Nicola Nadeau of the University of Sheffield focused on a handful of the 40 Heliconius species, comparing the genomes of those that had a yellow hind-wing bar to those that did not.
"You have a number of species that mimic each other and have the same colour pattern, and so what we found is, across these species of butterflies, this gene cortex is what's controlling the presence or absence of these yellow colour patterns," Dr Supple said.
Dr Supple said the cortex gene was not previously suspected of involvement in the pigmentation process so the discovery of its association with colour patterns was "definitely a surprise".
"It's not a gene you would expect would be involved in this wing colour pattern changes, because it's not a gene that's controlling expression of a pigmentation gene," she said.
"It's actually a gene that's involved in regulating cell divisions."
We're not sure how it regulates pattern and colouring, because it was a surprise that a gene like that would be involved in this.
While the research team focusing on the peppered moths identified a mutation as the cause of the switch from pale to dark, the underlying genetic mechanisms that produce the colour changes in Heliconius remain mysterious.
"We've just at this point identified that it's the one gene that shows an association with these colour pattern changes," Dr Supple said.
"We're not sure how it regulates pattern and colouring, because it was a surprise that a gene like that would be involved in this.
"There is a very tentative hypothesis that we actually weren't able to test, that it has to do with the developmental timing of the scales of the wing, and the developmental timing being associated with colour."
A close-up photo shows the patterns on a Heliconius wing.
The travel of the Coalition's and Labor's leaders during the first week of the federal election campaign shows the electorates the major parties expect will determine who forms government.
The Accounts Payable team provides a professional services, gives guidance and management support in optimising cost effectiveness across the business.
The Finance officer will be responsible for dealing with the receipt, distribution and payment of supplier invoices including arranging and monitoring approval process to ensure no delays to suppliers and a high level of customer service to suppliers.
• Responsible for the accurate and timely processing of supplier invoices to ensure prompt payment to suppliers while maintaining positive working relationships.
• Responsible for taking calls and emails and supporting the team in delivering good customer service to internal departments within Sovereign, suppliers and residents.
• Take responsibility for understanding and interpreting queries to the point of resolution. This will include queries from suppliers, residents and other internal departments within Sovereign. Seek guidance from Finance Officer - Accounts Payable Senior where required to ensure a prompt resolution.
• Experience in a busy AP department essential. Knowledge of council tax/business rates/utility bills desirable.
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has ruled out any foreign inspection of the country's nuclear facilities.
Undeterred by the embarrassment of a top Pakistani scientist being found guilty of smuggling out nuclear secrets, Musharraf insisted any outside inspection was uncalled for.
"Why should Pakistan be expected to allow anybody to inspect?" Musharraf told the London-based Financial Times in an interview published on Wednesday.
"We are not hiding anything … what is the need of any inspection," Musharraf said.
The Pakistani president also emphatically denied reports Pakistan had traded nuclear technology for North Korean ballistic missile technology, saying Pakistan paid cash for North Korean surface-to-surface missiles in 2002.
Musharraf's comments come amid growing concerns about the safety and security of Pakistan's nuclear facilities, after damning disclosures that its top nuclear scientist Abd al- Qadir Khan had helped to smuggle nuclear know abroad.
"We are not hiding anything … what is the need of any inspection"
The Pakistani president on 4 February pardoned Khan, considered a national hero, after the scientist confessed to selling nuclear secrets.
Musharraf said Iran was the only country which had received nuclear secrets from Khan, despite reports from the International Atomic Energy Agency Libya and North Korea were also the beneficiaries.
He also said Pakistan's ongoing investigation had found Khan only sold designs for centrifuges and not designs for nuclear weapons.
Musharraf said Pakistan would continue to develop its nuclear and missile programme to create a deterrent.
"We will never stop our nuclear and missile programmes," he said. "That is our vital national interest. It is totally indigenous now."
Apple on Thursday confirmed what some conspiracy theorists suspected, that it intentionally slows performance of older iPhones as batteries weaken from age.
The admission played into concerns that Apple was stealthily nudging iPhone users to upgrade to newer models by letting them think it was the handsets that needed replacing and not just a matter of getting new batteries.
“Our goal is to deliver the best experience for customers, which includes overall performance and prolonging the life of their devices,” an Apple spokesperson said in response to an AFP inquiry.
Lithium-ion batteries are commonly used in mobile devices, and charging capacity naturally wanes with use and time.
Meanwhile, smartphone operating software is perpetually improved with updates that typically increase appetites for electricity.
Last year, Apple introduced a feature to “smooth out” spikes in demand for power to prevent iPhone 6 models from shutting down due to the cold or weak batteries, according to the California-based company.
The iPhone 6 made its debut in late 2014.
The feature, which slows performance to demand less power, has been extended to iPhone 7 handsets with the latest iOS operating software and will be added to other Apple products “in the future,” the spokesperson said.
Apple releases new iPhone models annually, and sales of the handsets power its money-making engine.
People worried about performance could replace batteries, which Apple does for free for iPhones covered by warranty or for $79 if that is not the case.
Apple design of handsets makes it borderline impossible for people to change batteries themselves.
Rumors have persisted for years at tech news websites devoted to Apple products and among fans of the company’s products that iPhone performance was being intentionally slowed, perhaps to push users to buy newer models.
Restaurant Sales Decline Again -- Is It Time to Buy?
On the surface, the past few months have been rough for restaurants, but digging a little deeper, the story looks much brighter.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau's September retail sales report, restaurant sales have declined yet again through the summer months. Restaurants, bars, and the like have hit a soft patch as the average American family opts to curb its eating-out bill. As a result of the negativity, many stocks in the food and drink...
During September, sales fell 1.8% compared with August. That was on top of a 1.6% decline in July. The summer weakness has investors worried, and many restaurants have echoed these concerns. From fast food to full service establishments, foot traffic has been slowing down.
While the month-over-month numbers look dire, often overlooked is the year-over-year trend. Through the first nine months of 2016, sales at restaurants and drinking establishments are up 6.4% from last year. During September alone, sales were up 7.5% year-over-year.
Far from being a dire situation, average sales gains pushing the high single digits would indicate a banner year for food services. The bigger picture trend indicates an increasing willingness on the part of families to go out to eat rather than cook at home.
But dining trends, much like overall retail trends, have been favoring a combination of high quality and convenience. Price-conscious diners are demanding more bang for their buck, be it from fresher food, bigger portions, or a unique dining experience.
Some restaurant stocks have been punished by the market more than others, but growth has nonetheless continued. Let's look at a few names.
Zoe's Kitchen (NYSE:ZOES) offers up a fresh menu of Mediterranean-inspired dishes in a fast casual environment. Still a small chain with only 191 locations, the company has been averaging revenue growth of over 20% since becoming a public company in early 2014. This feat has been accomplished from nearly 40 new locatio...
The stock recently pulled back, though, as foot traffic isn't growing as much as investors had hoped earlier in the year. Zoe's shares are now down over 20% year-to-date and nearly 50% from highs seen earlier this year.
Texas Roadhouse (NASDAQ:TXRH) is all about value. The steakhouse chain serves up large portions at reasonable prices in a "Lone Star State"-themed atmosphere. The family friendly establishment has also been on a run, with sales growing over 10% for a decade. During the last quarter, profit was 56.7% higher than a year ...
Shares have dipped 14% in the past three months, but the company is not slowing down. New locations continue to open, with a sports bar concept, Bubba's 33, getting added to the mix. After the stock's recent slide, the company looks like a good value, with management expecting top and bottom line growth to continue in ...
Buffalo Wild Wings' (NASDAQ:BWLD) sports bar concept has taken off over the past few years. Total locations have increased nearly 50% since the end of 2011; revenue has averaged 24% growth; and profit growth has come in at 20%. Now a well-established destination for spectators and fans of all things sports, the company...
As investors grapple with the change in direction for the years ahead, the stock has become a roller coaster. Currently, shares are in a valley, falling over 20% from August levels. While management sees increasing investor payouts through a new $300 million stock repurchase program and a possible dividend initiation i...
Despite the summer doldrums, the longer-term trend for the restaurant industry still enjoys a positive trajectory with 6.4% year-over-year restaurant sales growth.
Nevertheless, the recent negativity brings excitement for investors looking for bargains. With still-growing chains getting clobbered with the rest of the food and beverage world, it's time to fill up your plate.
Well they have the win, they have two away goals, but this tie isn’t over after Mark Uth’s late strike gives Hoffenheim hope.
Liverpool went into the lead through Trent Alexander-Arnold’s fantastic freekick, after Andrej Kramaric missed a first-half penalty for the hosts.
The Reds weathered an early storm after the break, before a swift counter-attack saw sub James Milner sweep in a second.
It looked so comfortable until the 87th minute, when Uth powered in an excellent finish to give Hoffenheim hope going into the second leg.
So the defence still shaky and plenty of talking points, but Klopp’s men do have the victory and are poised to enter this seasons Champions League proper.
Some game. See you next Tuesday for the second leg.
Klopp’s men see it out. Just.
Hubner is down injured but hobbles off as they continue with ten men.
Wonderful cross from Hoffenheim from a freekick, Wagner rises highest but powers over.
A late corner is floated over and the crowd are really up now, but it’s swung in short and Can clears.
Salah bursts forward on the break but Liverpool are penalised in the box.
Those of you who had the misfortune to miss the recent Wikimania 2010 - Wikipedia's annual love-in which this year graced Gdańsk with its presence - also missed the opportunity to catch Reg San Francisco bureau big cheese Cade Metz giving forth on the popular fount of all human knowledge.
Cade wisely chose not to attend the shindig in person, but did appear alongside such luminaries as Richard Branson and Jimbo Wales himself in the world premiere of Truth in Numbers?, an independent, feature-length documentary on Wikipedia by Scott Glosserman and Nic Hill.
As regular Register readers will be aware, our respective answers to these posers are "No", and "Yes", and it seems the documentary came to pretty well the same conclusion, if Wikimaniac Sage Ross is to be believed.
In his Wikimania 2010 blog, Ross says: "The film gives a lot of focus to some shallow or misleading lines of criticism, and on an intellectual level, it comes off as largely anti-Wikipedia, contrasting the reasonable-sounding arguments of mature critics with the naive optimism of youthful Wikipedians."
This prompted a slighty confused Peter Damian (Wikipedia banned editor, for the record) to comment: "Are you saying that the shallow or misleading criticism is the same as the 'reasonable-sounding arguments of mature critics'?"
Ross replied: "By reasonable-sounding, I mean reasonable in tone and made by respectable-looking people. For example, I was really surprised to see Cade Metz on screen; he pulls off the 'hard-boiled reporter' look perfectly, and you’d never know that his stock-in-trade for covering Wikipedia is tabloid half-truths and ...
Well, Mr Ross hints at a possible solution to the Cade Metz tabloid half-truth problem. His blog notes: "The Truth in Numbers? filmmakers also plan on releasing all the used and unused footage - full interviews with Wikipedians from around the world as well as important critics and supporters - so that others can re-ed...
Reprint of 3/68-4/68 The Humanist.
Moss, James A., ed. The Black Man in America, New York: Dell Publishing Co., 1971, pp. 31-42.
Farrar, Straus, & Cudahy, Inc.
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Watch: Is Selasi the most relaxed Great British Bake Off contestant ever?

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