Evolution of Mimicry
Mimicry in evolutionary biology is the appearance of two different species that bear a striking similarity [1]. Mimicry can develop between different species or individuals of the same species. Most often mimicry acts as a protection of a species from predators, which makes it an anti-predator adaptation [2]. Mimicry is the selective advantage for mimicking the behavior of the receiver to perceive the similarity between an mimicry and a model . Similarities in mimicry can be visual, acoustic, chemical, tactile or electrical, or combinations of these sensory modities. Mimicry can be in the interest of both organisms that share similarity, in this case a form of reciprocity; or mimicry can be to someone's detriment and make it parasite or competitive . Evolutionary convergence between groups is guided by the selective action of a signal receiver or dupe. Birds, for example, use vision to identify tasty insects and butterflies, while avoiding harmful ones. Over time, tasty insects can develop to resemble harmful insects, which mimicry them and models harmful ones. In the case of mutualism, sometimes both groups are called "co-mimicry ". It is often thought that models should be more abundant than mimicry, but this is not the case. Mimicry can contain a large number of types; Many harmless species, such as flying flies , are Batesian mimicry of strongly defended species such as wasps, many well-protected species, all form similar Müllerian mimicry rings. Mimicry between hunting species and predators usually involves three or more species. [3]
In its broadest definition, mimicry can include non-living models. For example, animals such as flower mantises, planthoppers, comma and geometer moth caterpillars resemble twigs, bark, leaves, bird droppings or flowers. Many animals bear eyespots, which are hypothesized to resemble the eyes of larger animals. The model is usually another species, except in automimicry, where members of the species mimic other members, or other parts of their own bodies, and in inter-sexual mimicry, where members of one sex mimicry members of the other. [4]
Mimicry can result in an evolutionary arms race if mimicry negatively affects the model, and the model can evolve a different appearance from the mimic. Mimicry should not be confused with other forms of convergent evolution that occurs when the species comes to resemble each other by adapting to similar lifestyles that have nothing to do with a common signal receiver. Mimics may have different models for different life cycle stages, or they may be polymorphic, with different individuals imitating different models, such as in Heliconius butterflies. Models may have more than one mimic, though frequency dependent selection favors mimicry where models outnumber mimics. Models tend to be relatively closely related to organisms, [5] but mimicry of vastly different species is also known. Most known mimics are insects, however many other examples include vertebrates are also known. Plants and fungi may also mimic, though less research has carried out out in this area.[4]
mimicry is the appearance of two different species, which bear a striking resemblance to appearance. This resemblance can be remarkable. Bates (1862), who studied imitations of Heliconidae butterflies, notes that "The similarity is so close that only after a long application can the real one be distinguished from the fake." Bates, the reason heliconidae is so imitated is because of its bad taste, imitations that do not have such protection are now referred to as Bates imitations; the species they resemble are called models. Bates (1862) "This principle can be nothing more than natural selection, selective agents are insectivorous animals..." and made it clear that these imitators develop these characteristics due to natural selection. mimicry is one of the earliest documented examples of evolution in response to the biotic environment attributed to natural selection after the emergence of Darwin's "Origin of Species". [1]
Müller (1879) said that both unpleasant species can evolve to resemble each other, because "... Müllerian imitators, which bear a striking resemblance to a model with natural protection due to its taste, ability to sting or other ways of deterring predators, are similar species, although both have an intermediary to deter predators. [1]
Fisher (1930) provides an analysis of the evolutionary forces that are likely to be at work with these two types of imitation. Fisher thought the Batesian mimicry would only continue if hunters did not encounter the mimic frequently or if the model was extremely harmful. If mimicry becomes widespread and predators begin to feed on models, there will be a strong evolutionary pressure for the model to develop different colors. Fisher (1930) concludes that a stable Batesian mimicry model system typically requires rare imitations compared to the model to keep the reinforcement of avoidance of predators intact. [1]
Fisher also touched on the evolution of the Müllerian imitation. At the time, one theory suggested that the evolutionary path of the Müllerian imitation, which is less common than two tasteless protected species, would evolve in the opposite direction to common species (species A), let's call it species B, but vice versa. . Fisher argued that when mutant or recombinant genetic variants of type A are produced, they are more likely to resemble type B. However, they can increase in the population thanks to the protection provided to genetic variants that tend to resemble type B. Therefore, it is possible that more common species evolve towards less common species. [1]
Although the term mimicry has been widely applied to almost every situation in which one species of animal resembles another, its definition of predator escape behavior is much clearer. Mimicry occurs when an animal species (gesture) resembles another species with easily recognizable characteristics (model), and as a result, deceives a potential predator (dupe) who can otherwise catch and eat it. The model is usually poisonous, harmful, aggressive or otherwise protected from predators, and its colors, smells or behavior indicate that it is dangerous to a potential predator and therefore not worth pursuing. An imposter benefits from an aposemically colored genre that accurately advertises the high cost of capture. Many types of imitations have been identified. Classification is usually based on the mimic-related function. Batesian mimicry occurs when it mimics a non-toxic or otherwise unprotected species, a toxic or protected species [6]. Müllerian mimicry occurs when one or more potentially dangerous species are similar to each other, and each is both a model and an imitation. In both types of imitation, similarities in color, pattern, or behavior between gesture and model are assumed to converge. In cases where two sibling taxa have the same color or pattern, mimicry probably did not develop independently in each taxa, but each with similar patterns can gain some advantages in escaping predators. In these species, a single evolutionary event produced matching colors or patterns, and this occurred in their colors. or the behaviors between the gesture and the model merge. In cases where two sibling taxa have the same color or pattern, mimicry probably did not develop independently in each taxa, but each with similar patterns can gain some advantages in escaping predators. In these species, a single evolutionary event produced matching colors or patterns, and this occurred in their colors. or the behaviors between the gesture and the model merge. In cases where two sibling taxa have the same color or pattern, mimicry probably did not develop independently in each taxa, but each with similar patterns can gain some advantages in escaping predators. In these species, a single evolutionary event produced matching colors or patterns, and this occurred in their colors.further back in the evolutionary history of the common ancestor or group. [7]
The analysis and understanding of a particular mimicry system often requires a fairly comprehensive knowledge of the morphology, behavior, ecology and reciprocal relations of animals of different classes - for example, wasps ( Hymenoptera ), flies ( Diptera ), insect-eating amphibians , reptiles, birds and small mammals . Tracking the evolution of such a complex system requires a detailed introduction to a large group of forms related to each of the animals involved. In fact, such data is rarely available. However, recreating the evolution of a case of mimicry within the same species is relatively simple, but requires detailed information about a rather narrow taxonomic unit. Such a restructuring is valuable, since mimicry is an indispensable tool in the study of the evolution of animal communication. [8]
The mimicry hypothesis emerged in the midst of darwinian debate and provided an ideal test case for charles darwin and his contemporary Alfred Russel Wallace's views on the functioning of natural selection in the evolutionary change of living organisms. It is now quite clear that the basic theory of natural selection is correct and that the theory is reinforced by many detailed studies on the process by which a mimetic similarity is formed and selected. In addition, the investigation of appropriate cases of mimicry provides important information about the evolution of signals and the process of "semanization", in which signals acquire their meaning. [8]
REFERENCE:
1) Laurence Mueller, in Conceptual Breakthroughs in Evolutionary Ecology, 2020
2) King, R. C.; Stansfield, W. D.; Mulligan, P. K. A dictionary of genetics (2006)
3) Wickler, Wolfgang "Mimicry and the Evolution of Animal Communication" (1965)
4) Dalziell, Anastasia H.; Welbergen, Justin A. "Mimicry for all modalities". Ecology Letters. (2016)
5) Campbell, N. A. (1996). Biology (4th ed.). Benjamin Cummings. Chapter 50.
6) Douglas J. Futuyma, André Levy, in Encyclopedia of Biodiversity (Second Edition), 2001
7) Laurie J. Vitt, Janalee P. Caldwell, in Herpetology (Third Edition) (2009)
8) https://www.britannica.com/science/mimicry/The-evolution-of-mimicry
