The theories of our favorite self-taught butterfly expert, Vladimir Nabokov, were recently vindicated in academic papers released last week.
The Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, reported that Nabokov was absolutely correct in theorizing that certain species of Polyommatus blues moved from Asia, across the Bering Strait, and south through North America–a wildly bold hypothesis in 1945 when he first voiced the idea.
Using the latest DNA sequencing technology, scientists from Harvard and Texas State University in San Marcos tested Nabokov’s theories and proved them to be true.
“By God, he got every one right,” said Dr. Naomi Pierce of Harvard, a co-author of the paper. “I couldn’t get over it — I was blown away.”
The story in the New York Times provides a full account and a gorgeous butterfly slide show.
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