What is Mimicry?

• A. A seasonal migration pattern
• B. The spread of seeds by animals
• C. The resemblance of one species to another species
• D. A form of asexual reproduction

Answer: (C)

Mimicry is the resemblance of one species to another species, a strategy that helps organisms survive by deception. Natural selection favors individuals whose appearance, coloration, or behavior imitates a more dangerous or unpalatable species, so predators are more likely to avoid them or so they can approach prey more effectively. Classic examples include harmless species that copy the warning patterns of toxic ones or insects that imitate a poisonous species to deter predators. This is different from seasonal migration, which is about moving between locations; from the spread of seeds by animals, which helps plants disperse offspring; and from asexual reproduction, which produces offspring without mating.