Müllerian mimicry
/mʊˈlɪərɪən
/noun [mass noun] Zoology
A form of mimicry in which two or more harmful or unpalatable animals develop similar appearances as a shared protective device.These sister species are sympatric across much of Central and Andean South America below 1500 m; both are unpalatable and warningly colored, and their speciation has been accompanied by a shift in Müllerian mimicry....
- This is largely due to their bright wing-color patterns and Müllerian mimicry among species.
- To measure natural selection generated by Müllerian mimicry, I exploited the unusual polymorphism of Heliconius cydno (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae).
Origin
Late 19th century: named after Johann F. T. Müller (1821–97), German zoologist.