Several of the most celebrated examples of visual mimicry, like mimetic eggs laid by avian brood parasites and pala-table insects mimicking distasteful ones, involve signals directed at the eyes of birds. Despite this...Several of the most celebrated examples of visual mimicry, like mimetic eggs laid by avian brood parasites and pala-table insects mimicking distasteful ones, involve signals directed at the eyes of birds. Despite this, studies of mimicry from the avian visual perspective have been rare, particularly with regard to defensive mimicry and masquerade. Defensive visual mimicry, which includes Batesian and Mtillerian mimicry, occurs when organisms share a visual signal that functions to deter predators. Masquerade occurs when an organism mimics an inedible or uninteresting object, such as a leaf, stick, or pebble. In this paper, I present five case studies covering diverse examples of defensive mimicry and masquerade as seen by birds. The best-known cases of defensive visual mimicry typically come from insect prey, but birds themselves can exhibit defensive visual mimicry in an at- tempt to escape mobbing or dissuade avian predators. Using examples of defensive visual mimicry by both insects and birds, I show how quantitative models of avian color, luminance, and pattern vision can be used to enhance our understanding of mimicry in many systems and produce new hypotheses about the evolution and diversity of signals. Overall, I investigate examples of Batesian mimicry （1 and 2）, Miillerian mimicry （3 and 4）, and masquerade （5） as follows： 1） Polymorphic mimicry in African mocker swallowtail butterflies; 2） Cuckoos mimicking sparrowhawks; 3） Mimicry rings in Neotropical butterflies; 4） Plumage mimicry in toxic pitohuis; and 5） Dead leaf-mimicking butterflies and mantids.展开更多
Aggressive mimicry occurs when an organism resembles some aspect of another organism （the model） in order to obtain prey through its deceptive resemblance. This may function either through the overt response of the ...Aggressive mimicry occurs when an organism resembles some aspect of another organism （the model） in order to obtain prey through its deceptive resemblance. This may function either through the overt response of the receiver or through the lack of response of the receiver. Reviewing selected examples, I discuss some of the difficulties in ascribing a model for the mimic. I also discuss how a single animal can have multiple ploys in its armoury of deceptive signals, thus belonging within two or more categories of deceptive signalling. In addition to aggressive mimicry, these may include crypsis or camouflage, mas- querade （mimicry of inanimate objects）, and Batesian or protective mimicry. Each of these examples of deception has multiple evolutionary pathways, and some deceptive signals may be more costly to receivers than others, but no single organism is subject to a single selection pressure, leading to the reality that many evolutionary pathways contribute to the diversity we see around us. New technologies are opening new channels of investigation into deceptive signaling in many different sensory modalities, and this is reflected in the recent increase in studies investigating the structure and function of deceptive signals. In turn, these studies are beginning to expose the fascinating complexity of deceptive signaling systems, allowing us to discover the myriad, non-mutually exclusive, solutions that can be selected for to obtain prey展开更多
文摘Several of the most celebrated examples of visual mimicry, like mimetic eggs laid by avian brood parasites and pala-table insects mimicking distasteful ones, involve signals directed at the eyes of birds. Despite this, studies of mimicry from the avian visual perspective have been rare, particularly with regard to defensive mimicry and masquerade. Defensive visual mimicry, which includes Batesian and Mtillerian mimicry, occurs when organisms share a visual signal that functions to deter predators. Masquerade occurs when an organism mimics an inedible or uninteresting object, such as a leaf, stick, or pebble. In this paper, I present five case studies covering diverse examples of defensive mimicry and masquerade as seen by birds. The best-known cases of defensive visual mimicry typically come from insect prey, but birds themselves can exhibit defensive visual mimicry in an at- tempt to escape mobbing or dissuade avian predators. Using examples of defensive visual mimicry by both insects and birds, I show how quantitative models of avian color, luminance, and pattern vision can be used to enhance our understanding of mimicry in many systems and produce new hypotheses about the evolution and diversity of signals. Overall, I investigate examples of Batesian mimicry （1 and 2）, Miillerian mimicry （3 and 4）, and masquerade （5） as follows： 1） Polymorphic mimicry in African mocker swallowtail butterflies; 2） Cuckoos mimicking sparrowhawks; 3） Mimicry rings in Neotropical butterflies; 4） Plumage mimicry in toxic pitohuis; and 5） Dead leaf-mimicking butterflies and mantids.
文摘Aggressive mimicry occurs when an organism resembles some aspect of another organism （the model） in order to obtain prey through its deceptive resemblance. This may function either through the overt response of the receiver or through the lack of response of the receiver. Reviewing selected examples, I discuss some of the difficulties in ascribing a model for the mimic. I also discuss how a single animal can have multiple ploys in its armoury of deceptive signals, thus belonging within two or more categories of deceptive signalling. In addition to aggressive mimicry, these may include crypsis or camouflage, mas- querade （mimicry of inanimate objects）, and Batesian or protective mimicry. Each of these examples of deception has multiple evolutionary pathways, and some deceptive signals may be more costly to receivers than others, but no single organism is subject to a single selection pressure, leading to the reality that many evolutionary pathways contribute to the diversity we see around us. New technologies are opening new channels of investigation into deceptive signaling in many different sensory modalities, and this is reflected in the recent increase in studies investigating the structure and function of deceptive signals. In turn, these studies are beginning to expose the fascinating complexity of deceptive signaling systems, allowing us to discover the myriad, non-mutually exclusive, solutions that can be selected for to obtain prey
