Mimicry in vertebrates

In evolutionary biology, mimicry in vertebrates is mimicry by a vertebrate of some model (an animal, not necessarily a vertebrate), deceiving some other animal, the dupe.[1] Mimicry differs from camouflage as it is meant to be seen, while animals use camouflage to remain hidden. Visual, olfactory, auditory, biochemical, and behavioral modalities of mimicry have been documented in vertebrates.[1][2]

There are few well-studied examples of mimicry in vertebrates.[1] Still, many of the basic types of mimicry apply to vertebrates, especially among snakes. Batesian mimicry is rare among vertebrates but found in some reptiles (particularly snakes) and amphibians.[2][3] Müllerian mimicry is found in some snakes, birds, amphibians, and fish.[2][4][5][6] Aggressive mimicry is known in some vertebrate predators and parasites, while certain forms of sexual mimicry are distinctly more complex than in invertebrates.[7][8][9]

  1. ^ a b c Pough FH (1988). "Mimicry of Vertebrates: Are the Rules Different?". The American Naturalist. 131: S67–S102. doi:10.1086/284767. JSTOR 2461943. S2CID 84337356.
  2. ^ a b c Caro, Tim (2014). "Antipredator deception in terrestrial vertebrates" (PDF). Current Zoology. 60 (1): 16–25. doi:10.1093/czoolo/60.1.16.
  3. ^ Pfennig D.W.; Harcombe, W.R.; Pfennig, K.S. (March 2001). "Frequency-dependent Batesian mimicry". Nature. 410 (6826): 323. doi:10.1038/35066628. PMID 11268195.
  4. ^ Sanders, K.L.; Malhotra, A.; Thorpe, R.S. (May 2006). "Evidence for a Müllerian mimetic radiation in Asian pitvipers". Proceedings. Biological Sciences. 273 (1590): 1135–1141. doi:10.1098/rspb.2005.3418. PMC 1560257. PMID 16600892.
  5. ^ Symula, R.; Schulte, R.; Summers, K. (December 2001). "Molecular phylogenetic evidence for a mimetic radiation in Peruvian poison frogs supports a Müllerian mimicry hypothesis". Proceedings. Biological Sciences. 268 (1484): 2415–2421. doi:10.1098/rspb.2001.1812. PMC 1088895. PMID 11747559.
  6. ^ Wright, J.J. (February 2011). "Conservative coevolution of Müllerian mimicry in a group of rift lake catfish". Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution. 65 (2): 395–407. doi:10.1111/j.1558-5646.2010.01149.x. PMID 20964683. S2CID 205782972.
  7. ^ Soler, J.J.; Aviles, J.M.; Soler, M.; Møller, A.P. (August 2003). "Evolution of host egg mimicry in a brood parasite, the great spotted cuckoo". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 79 (4): 551–563. doi:10.1046/j.1095-8312.2003.00209.x.
  8. ^ Racey, P.; Skinner, J.D. (2009-08-20). "Endocrine aspects of sexual mimicry in Spotted hyaenas Crocuta crocuta". Journal of Zoology. 187 (3): 315–326. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1979.tb03372.x.
  9. ^ Whiting, M.J. Webb J.K.; Keogh, J.S. (May 2009). "Flat lizard female mimics use sexual deception in visual but not chemical signals". Proceedings. Biological Sciences. 276 (1662): 1585–1591. doi:10.1098/rspb.2008.1822. PMC 2660994. PMID 19324828.