A tale of 2 signals: signal mimicry between aposematic species enhances predator avoidance learning

Hannah M. Rowland, Tom Hoogesteger, Graeme D. Ruxton, Michael P. Speed and Johanna Mappes

Behavioral Ecology, 2010, vol. 21, issue 4, 851-860

Abstract: Müllerian mimicry, where 2 or more unrelated aposematic species resemble one another, is predicted to reduce the per capita mortality of co-mimics by allowing them to share the cost of educating naïve predators about their unpalatability. However, the specific assumptions and predictions of Müller's theory of shared resemblance have been previously unsupported; some authors have suggested that the benefits of signal similarity are undetectable or at best very small. We demonstrate clearly and unambiguously that mimicry between 2 defended forms can provide substantial protection from uneducated predators in the manner proposed originally by Müller. By utilizing prey signals that were designed and demonstrated, to be equally visible, learned with equal facility, and discriminated by our predators, we assessed the effect of the presence of signal mimicry on the survival of a Model species in a "novel world" experiment, with wild-caught great tits (Parus major) as predators. We found that the net effect of mimicry was mutualistic, with co-mimics showing increased survivorship through shared predator learning. Visually distinct prey showed a mortality benefit from coexistence even without signal mimicry as a result of a density-dependent dilution effect. Perfect mimicry provided an added benefit of enhanced predator avoidance learning, and our results suggest that the benefits of shared warning signals may be even stronger than Müller originally proposed. Copyright 2010, Oxford University Press.

Date: 2010
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/beheco/arq071 (application/pdf)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:oup:beheco:v:21:y:2010:i:4:p:851-860

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://academic.oup.com/journals

Access Statistics for this article

Behavioral Ecology is currently edited by Louise Barrett

More articles in Behavioral Ecology from International Society for Behavioral Ecology Oxford University Press, Great Clarendon Street, Oxford OX2 6DP, UK.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Oxford University Press ().