Every year a mysterious phenomenon happens – the migration of the beautiful Monarch butterfly. But what does this happen? How do these lovely little creatures find their way, year after year, from Canada through western United States to Mexico? Researchers have been looking at the butterflies migration pattern and come up with an interest theory. They have unique internal clocks that help them regulate everything, from their sleep to their eating and reproduction and the sun plays a major part, which they use as a compass. But how is that possible?
When the researchers mapped molecular underpinnings of the butterflies’ circadian clocks, they found a protein common in animals and insects. These proteins are what help the butterflies use the sun as their guide.
Steven Reppert, a University of Massachusetts neurobiologist said “”A butterfly’s brain is no bigger than the head of a pin, and yet it has this incredible capability. So we really want to understand that.” This amazing discovery might mean that scientists can start understanding the human biological clock in a more scientific fashion. The effect of light is very evident in humans, from sleep issue like insomnia to health issues common in people who work third shift jobs. This protein might be key in understanding these and other issues like seasonal affective disorder. Researchers have long known there is a daylight key in different disorders such as these, but now there’s a tangible protein to further study in the hopes to cure such disorders.
Lincoln Brower, a monarch expert at the University of Florida and Sweet Briar College in Sweet Briar, Virginia, said the discovery was significant because it shows that “studying the monarch butterfly is producing crucial information about the nature of life.”
The rest of the study’s findings will be available online Tuesday in the PLoS Biology Journal.
