Consider the consequences of a harmless prey that evolves toward mimicry of a model that has an anti-predator defense-Batesian mimicry.What happens to the effectiveness of this defense as more and more prey in the population are harmless mimics? Then consider what happens when a species with bad taste evolves to resemble a model that stings (Müllerian mimicry).

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Batesian mimicry is only effective when there are few mimics in the population because it is based on the idea that predators will learn to avoid the model and then also avoid the mimic. However, if there are too many harmless mimics, predators may become more likely to attack both the model and the mimic. In contrast, Müllerian mimicry is strengthened by having more mimics in the population because it reinforces the warning signals that predators learn to avoid. Therefore, more Müllerian mimics would only strengthen the protective mimicry complex.

Consider the Consequences of a Harmless Prey That Evolves Toward