AIM: SWBAT distinguish between the various kinds of mimicry in the

biological world

Please Do Now: If animals are capable of gaining an advantage by communicating

dishonestly, why haven’t all animals evolved to be “liars”.

Agenda Do Now Video Mimicry/Camouflage Notes Data Analysis Reading/Annotation

What is camouflage? the use of any

combination of materials or coloration for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see (crypsis), or by disguising them as something else (mimicry)

What is Mimicry? mimicry is the similarity of one

species to another which increases the fitness one or both species in areas where they are both found

It is the result of the environment selecting for that similarity over many generations

What do we call organisms involved in mimicry?

Mimics are the organisms that have evolved in imitation of something else

Models are the species that are imitated

Types of Mimicry Batesian: the

mimic shares signals similar to the model, but does not have the attribute that makes it undesirable to predators

Types of Mimicry Mullerian: when

two or more species have very similar warning signals and both share genuine anti-predation attributes (more likely predators will learn to avoid them)

Types of Mimicry Mertensian:

unusual cases where deadly prey mimic a less dangerous species

Types of Mimicry Wasmanian: the

mimic resembles a model along with which it lives in a nest or colony

Types of Mimicry Gilbertian:

potential host/prey drives away its parasite/predator by mimicking it

Types of Mimicry Luring Mimicry:

predator employing signals which draw its potential prey towards it by the promise of food

Types of Mimicry Brood-Parasite: a

situation where a parasite mimics its own host

Types of Mimicry Wicklerian: the

mimic resembling a species that is a mutualist of the model

Types of Mimicry Cryptic: the

predator mimics an organism that its prey is indifferent to

Types of Mimicry Inter-sexual: the

male of a species mimic the female of the species to sneak matings with the female

Worksheet 20 minutes to complete, it will be

collected You may quietly discuss with a

neighbor Match the scenarios described with

the type of mimicry we discussed today

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Example Australian Cuttlefish (a relative of the

Octopus), can be alpha-males, beta-males, and females. Alpha-males fight for the rights to a harem of females. Beta-males, instead of fighting, pretend to be females, and stay with the harem while the alphas are fighting, and then have sex with them.

Example Australian Cuttlefish (a relative of the

Octopus), can be alpha-males, beta-males, and females. Alpha-males fight for the rights to a harem of females. Beta-males, instead of fighting, pretend to be females, and stay with the harem while the alphas are fighting, and then have sex with them.

This is an example of inter-sexual mimicry because a member of one gender is the model for a mimic of the other.

WYNTKFTQ Forms of communications Examples of advantages and

disadvantages of those forms of communication

Examples of deceitful communication Why we trust any communication Types of mimicry (especially,

Batesian and Mullerian)