Evolution: the mystery of imperfect mimicry

Innes C Cuthill

doi:10.1016/j.cub.2014.04.006

Evolution: the mystery of imperfect mimicry

Curr Biol. 2014 May 5;24(9):R364-6. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2014.04.006.

Author

Innes C Cuthill¹

Affiliation

¹ School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Woodland Road, Bristol BS8 1UG, UK. Electronic address: i.cuthill@bristol.ac.uk.

PMID: 24801186
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2014.04.006

Abstract

Mimicry has long provided some of the most persuasive examples of the power of natural selection. However, some mimics are quite poor. A new study shows that mechanisms by which animals learn might explain how imperfect mimics survive.

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MeSH terms

Adaptation, Physiological / physiology*
Animals
Imitative Behavior / physiology*
Passeriformes / physiology*
Predatory Behavior / physiology*