WHICH came first—the butterfly or the caterpillar? Well both, says a
British zoologist. Creatures such as butterflies did not gradually evolve until
they ended up with distinct larval stages, but are actually the result of a
genetic merger between a separate larva-like animal and a butterfly-like adult,
he says. Most biologists are extremely sceptical, but they’ll need to rewrite
all their classification books if the theory is right.
Many invertebrates have separate larval and adult stages for good reason.
Free-swimming marine larvae, such as barnacle larvae, can disperse, unlike their
rock-bound parents. Larvae and grubs can also set up…
