Diversity of warning signal and social interaction influences the evolution of imperfect mimicry.

ABSTRACT: Mimicry, the resemblance of one species by another, is a complex phenomenon where the mimic (Batesian mimicry) or the model and the mimic (Mullerian mimicry) gain an advantage from this phenotypic convergence. Despite the expectation that mimics should closely resemble their models, many mimetic species appear to be poor mimics. This is particularly apparent in some systems in which there are multiple available models. However, the influence of model pattern diversity on the evolution of mimetic systems remains poorly understood. We tested whether the number of model patterns a predator learns to associate with a negative consequence affects their willingness to try imperfect, novel patterns. We exposed week-old chickens to coral snake (Micrurus) color patterns representative of thr

SUBMITTER: Bosque RJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6106177 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature