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Article: Mimicry
- Article from:
- Animal Sciences
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CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Mimicry
Animals that are toxic, armed with spines, or are otherwise unpalatable, or disagreeable, to predators often exhibit conspicuous colors or patterns. These superficial characteristics, called
aposematic
signals, are used to warn potential predators of the animal's physical or chemical defenses. The distinct colorations are highly conspicuous against certain backgrounds. This imposes a cost on the aposematic prey because the predators can more readily spot them. However, the predators will also be quick to learn and remember which prey to avoid because of the distinctiveness of the signals. Of course, if the prey is not sufficiently unpalatable, then the costs are greater than ...