Curators Astounded!

Well as you may have guessed the subject isn’t as shocking as my title suggests, but I couldn’t help but to spin from the Guardian article.  I really find it hilarious when I come across anything that says scientists are “astounded”, “baffled”, “shocked”, “puzzled”, – I guess that’s a topic for another time…  Nevertheless a really cool butterfly has emerged at the “Sensational Butterflies” exhibit at the British Museum in London – a bilateral gynandromorph!  The Guardian reports today that this specimen of Papilio memnon just emerged and is beginning to draw small crowds of visitors.  I know I’d love to see one of these alive again – although the zoo situation would take away quite a bit of the excitement.  I think the only thing more exciting than seeing one of these live in the field would be to net one myself!

One little thing tripped my skeptical sensors and that is the quote at the end of the article taken from the curator of butterflies, Blanca Huertas. “The gynandromorph butterfly is a fascinating scientific phenomenon, and is the product of complex evolutionary processes. It is fantastic to have discovered one hatching on museum grounds, particularly as they are so rare.”

Well, I don’t specifically see how these are a “product of … evolutionary processes” inasmuch as all life in all forms is a product of evolution.  These are sterile “glitches” that are cool, but not anything that has been specifically evolved for or against.  Perhaps it would be more adept to call this a fascinating process of genetics (which the article actually describes with accuracy).  Also – butterflies emerge as adults and hatch as caterpillars – but that’s just me being picky.