The complete collection of genetic profiles of European butterflies has been created as an open data library based on over 20,000 sequences of the COI mitochondrial DNA segment. This library allows to know and defend the biodiversity of insects and the ecosystems in which they live. The project has been carried out by an international team coordinated by Leonardo Dapporto, researcher of the Department of Biology, who reports on it in the journal Communications Biology part of the Nature group.
“Our library is probably the most complete DNA collection in the world for an entire animal group,” says Dapporto. “It has taken more than ten years, during which we have sequenced this small segment of DNA that provides fundamental information about species membership and about the history of any population. Mitochondrial DNA, so fast to extract compared to the complete genomes is so highly informative to be indicated as DNA-barcoding, an identification code for the about 500 species of butterflies living in Europe,” Dapporto continues.
Based on the recording and analysis of data collected in all regions of our continent, from North Cape to Crete, the work done by researchers has broadened our knowledge of insects, bringing to light the indistinguishable differences to the human eye. And it has confirmed, data at hand, that the southern European regions have more diversity than the northern regions and therefore represent the reservoir for the biodiversity of these insects.
Dapporto continues, “During glaciations, northern and central Europe was covered by ice and the life of the butterflies was impossible there. At the end of the glaciations the butterflies were able to colonize the northern regions. But not all of the genetic wealth originated in southern Europe has migrated to the north, just that small part from the individuals who, by chance, moved to the new areas made available by the retreat of the ice. This phenomenon, described as ‘southern richness and northern purity’ and verified through our research tells us that in southern Europe biodiversity, which is fundamental to the adaptation and survival of butterflies, is higher.”
The information collected by the researchers is the premise for monitoring actions aimed at assessing the health status of the populations of butterflies and other pollinating insects, which in the last year have started in all the Italian National Parks, with the involvement of the research unit coordinated by Dapporto.
“One possibility that species have of surviving climate change is to use the genetic resources that they already own, so that at least a portion of individuals can survive in the new environment that is being created,” the researcher concludes. Mapping the genetic diversity of populations is fundamental to the conservation of butterflies and of all the ecosystem services they sustain which make possible our own existence on this planet.
