Mimicry of host song by brood-parasitic Vidua finches Visual mimicry by a plant of other rewarding plant species to better attract pollinators Mimicry of aposematic organisms by other defended organisms to avoid predation įork-tailed drongo reliably mimicking the alarm calls of another species to signify the presence of a predator Mimicry of inanimate objects such as stones and dead sticks Mimicry of bird droppings by certain caterpillar species to avoid predation Mimicry of aposematic organisms by undefended organisms to avoid predation Īuditory mimicry of rattlesnake rattles by burrowing owls to avoid predation Mimicry of dung by plant seeds to attract dung beetle dispersers Olfactory mimicry of carrion by flowers to attract insects Īnglerfish attracting smaller fish using a lure that resembles a prey item Predatory insects luring spiders by mimicking vibrations of struggling insects Mimicry by unrewarding plant of a rewarding species to attract pollinators Mimicry of a flower by praying mantis species to attract insect prey Hydrocarbon mimicry by socially parasitic insects Mimicry of egg signatures by avian brood parasites Rather than aiming to provide an entirely new classification scheme, this review instead critically examines the criteria by which mimicry is currently differentiated, and then explores them to their logical conclusions.īegging call mimicry by avian brood parasites Just as recent papers have brought clarity to social evolution by defining and systematising terms used to describe social interactions, this review aims to facilitate research on mimicry by proposing a conceptual framework that contrasts and orders mimetic resemblances across sensory modalities and taxonomic groups. Despite their canonical status, there remains considerable lack of clarity over how these resemblances are related to one another and the extent to which they are products of the same evolutionary processes (reviewed in ). These impressive outcomes of natural selection are widely fêted in textbooks and documentaries. ‘Mimicry’ is used in the evolutionary and ecological literature to describe diverse phenomena ( table 1). These four forms of mimicry are not discrete, immutable types, but rather help to define important axes along which mimicry can vary. The existence of rewarding mimicry is a logical extension of the criteria used to differentiate the three well-recognized forms of mimicry. Rewarding mimicry occurs when the mimic's signal is non-deceptive (as in Müllerian mimicry) but where the mimic signals a fitness benefit to the receiver (as in aggressive mimicry). These are the three traditional mimicry categories (aggressive, Batesian and Müllerian) and a fourth, often overlooked category for which the term ‘rewarding mimicry’ is suggested. The second and third distinctions divide both signal and cue mimicry into four types each. ‘Masquerade’ fits conceptually within cue mimicry. ‘Signal mimicry’ occurs when mimic and model share the same receiver, and ‘cue mimicry’ when mimic and model have different receivers or when there is no receiver for the model's trait. (i) Are the model's traits being mimicked signals or cues? (ii) Does the mimic signal a fitness benefit or fitness cost in order to manipulate the receiver's behaviour? (iii) Is the mimic's signal deceptive? The first distinction divides mimicry into two broad categories: ‘signal mimicry’ and ‘cue mimicry’. It highlights the following three evolutionarily relevant distinctions. This review critically examines the logic by which mimicry can be conceptually organized and analysed. The result is that categories denoting the traditional subdivisions of mimicry are applied inconsistently across studies, hindering attempts at conceptual unification. However, there remains a lack of clarity over how mimetic resemblances are conceptually related to each other. Many are textbook examples of natural selection's power to produce stunning adaptations. All rights reserved.‘Mimicry’ is used in the evolutionary and ecological literature to describe diverse phenomena. Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd.
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