Hiding in Plain Sight: How Butterflies use Physics to be Invisible
Program Overview
From naturalists to collectors, appreciation for the beautiful colors and patterns of butterfly wings is widespread. But did you know that one of the underlying functions for these sunning visuals is to protect butterflies from birds and other predators. Butterflies have evolved a variety of interesting adaptations to help them disappear into the scenery. Some use a trick of physics called structural coloration to create a green appearance that blends in with surrounding vegetation. Others play tricks with the laws of physics to gain transparency. In this presentation, Marine Biological Laboratory Director Nipam Patel will explore how advances in cell biology, genetics, and microscopy are allowing scientists like him to understand these remarkable feats of camouflage.
Dr. Nipam Patel
Dr. Nipam Patel is the director of the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) and a professor at the University of Chicago. He is a leading scholar in modern evolutionary and developmental biology with specific focus on the evolution of body patterning and segmentation, regeneration of the germline, and structural coloration. His scientific expertise encompasses the development of novel, genetic model organisms for biological study, which can reveal much about human biology; and the application of advanced imaging technologies to probe the fundamental dynamics of living systems.
Patel is an elected fellow of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science and has been awarded numerous honors, including the Schubert Endowed Chair and the William V. Power Endowed Chair at UC Berkeley, the McKnight Scholars Neuroscience Fellowship Award, and most recently the A.O. Kowalevsky Medal and election to the Society for Developmental Biology Academy.