Müllerian mimicry

Müllerian mimicry is a natural phenomenon in which two or more well-defended species, often foul-tasting and sharing common predators, have come to mimic each other's honest warning signals, to their mutual benefit. The benefit to Müllerian mimics is that predators only need one unpleasant encounter with one member of a set of Müllerian mimics, and thereafter avoid all similar coloration, whether or not it belongs to the same species as the initial encounter. It is named after the German naturalist Fritz Müller, who first proposed the concept in 1878, supporting his theory with the first mathematical model of frequency-dependent selection, one of the first such models anywhere in biology. Müllerian mimicry was first identified in tropical butterflies that shared colourful wing patterns, but it is found in many groups of insects such as bumblebees, and other animals such as poison frogs and coral snakes. The mimicry need not be visual; for example, many snakes share auditory warning signals. Similarly, the defences involved are not limited to toxicity; anything that tends to deter predators, such as foul taste, sharp spines, or defensive behaviour can make a species unprofitable enough to predators to allow Müllerian mimicry to develop. Once a pair of Müllerian mimics has formed, other mimics may join them by advergent evolution (one species changing to conform to the appearance of the pair, rather than mutual convergence), forming mimicry rings. Large rings are found for example in velvet ants. Since the frequency of mimics is positively correlated with survivability, rarer mimics are likely to adapt to resemble commoner models, favouring both advergence and larger Müllerian mimicry rings. Where mimics are not strongly protected by venom or other defences, honest Müllerian mimicry becomes, by degrees, the better-known bluffing of Batesian mimicry. Müllerian mimicry was proposed by the German zoologist and naturalist Fritz Müller (1821–1897).

About this result

This page is automatically generated and may contain information that is not correct, complete, up-to-date, or relevant to your search query. The same applies to every other page on this website. Please make sure to verify the information with EPFL's official sources.

Related publications (23)

Related units (5)

Related concepts (17)

Related lectures (5)

Bridging Native and Intrinsic Structures of Microhydrated Biomolecules by Cold Ion Spectroscopy

Andrei Zviagin

Solving native structures of such large molecules, like biomolecules, is often challenging, particularly due to the potentially infinite number of non-covalent interactions with water. In this thesis, we report the use of cold ion gas-phase action spectros ...

EPFL2023

Doppelganger-based training: Imitating our virtual self to accelerate interpersonal skills learning

Maria del Carmen Sandi Perez, João Pedro de Matos Rodrigues, Marion Sandy Curdy

Interpersonal skills require mastering a wide range of competencies such as communication and adaptation to different situations. Effective training includes the use of videos in which role models perform the desired behaviours such that trainees can learn ...

2021

, , ,

Oviparous animals across many taxa have evolved diverse strategies that deter egg predation, providing valuable tests of how natural selection mitigates direct fitness loss. Communal egg laying in nonsocial species minimizes egg predation. However, in cann ...

PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE2019

Heliconiinae

The Heliconiinae, commonly called heliconians or longwings, are a subfamily of the brush-footed butterflies (family Nymphalidae). They can be divided into 45–50 genera and were sometimes treated as a separate family Heliconiidae within the Papilionoidea. The colouration is predominantly reddish and black, and though of varying wing shape, the forewings are always elongated tipwards, hence the common name. Most longwings are found in the Tropics, particularly in South America; only the Argynnini are quite diverse in the Holarctic.

Insect

Insects (from Latin insectum) are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes and one pair of antennae. Their blood is not totally contained in vessels; some circulates in an open cavity known as the haemocoel. Insects are the most diverse group of animals; they include more than a million described species and represent more than half of all known living organisms.

Batesian mimicry

Batesian mimicry is a form of mimicry where a harmless species has evolved to imitate the warning signals of a harmful species directed at a predator of them both. It is named after the English naturalist Henry Walter Bates, after his work on butterflies in the rainforests of Brazil. Batesian mimicry is the most commonly known and widely studied of mimicry complexes, such that the word mimicry is often treated as synonymous with Batesian mimicry. There are many other forms however, some very similar in principle, others far separated.

Limitations of GDP: Unpaid Work and Shadow Economy HUM-471: Economic growth and sustainability I

Explores GDP limitations regarding unpaid work and the shadow economy, emphasizing the challenges in measuring economic activities beyond traditional indicators.

Future of Sustainable Proteins ENG-436: Food biotechnology

Explores the future of sustainable proteins, including plant-based, cultivated, and fermentation methods, highlighting gene editing and CRISPR-Cas9 technologies.

Vector Spaces: Structure and Bases

Covers vector spaces, bases, and decomposition of vectors in R³.