# A microRNA is the effector gene of a classic evolutionary hotspot locus

*PRI Rank #5 · Topics and Trends in Most Cited Lepidoptera: Biology and Taxonomy Papers, Class of 2026*

*Canonical URL: https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/lepidoptera-biology-and-taxonomy/2026/rank-5*

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Rank | #5 |
| 18m citations | 31 |
| Journal | Science |
| Year | 2024 |
| DOI | 10.1126/science.adp7899 |
| Corresponding authors | Shen Tian, Antónia Monteiro |
| Institution | National University of Singapore, Singapore |

**Ranking page:** [Topics and Trends in Most Cited Lepidoptera: Biology and Taxonomy Papers, Class of 2026](https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/lepidoptera-biology-and-taxonomy/2026)

**Paper link:** [10.1126/science.adp7899](https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adp7899)

## Topics

cortex locus · mir-193 · microRNA · Melanic wing patterns · Lepidoptera · evolutionary hotspot · ivory long noncoding RNA · pigmentation genes · Drosophila · adaptive evolution · gene regulation · primary miRNA transcript · intraspecific polymorphism · effector gene identification · post-transcriptional repression

## Cite this ranking

```
Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Lepidoptera: Biology and Taxonomy Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/lepidoptera-biology-and-taxonomy/2026. Accessed 2026-10-29.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459
```