Biological mimicry is a biological process in which one organism evolves traits that closely resemble those of another organism or environmental feature, thereby altering interactions with predators, prey, hosts, or mutualists. It arises through natural selection acting on heritable variation in phenotypes that confer fitness advantages via deception, such as reduced predation, enhanced pollination, or improved parasitism. Mechanistically, mimicry can involve convergence in morphology, coloration, behavior, chemical signaling, or acoustic patterns, and typically functions within coevolutionary networks. Major forms include Batesian, Müllerian, and aggressive mimicry, each characterized by distinct selective regimes and ecological roles in signal production, perception, and evolutionary stability.
African cuckoo finches (Anomalospiza imberbis) are very deceptive birds, or at least the mothers are. They sneak into the nests of other birds, such as prinias and cisticolas, to lay their eggs, then slip away and leave the ...
Have you ever thought about reinventing yourself? According to a new study on moths conducted by Andrei Sourakov, collection coordinator of Lepidoptera at the Florida Museum of Natural History and affiliate associate professor ...
Plants & Animals
Oct 29, 2026
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Nanoparticles could someday provide a new way to help soldiers fight back against deadly nerve agents on the front lines. In a new study, Northwestern University scientists developed a nanoparticle-based compound that, when ...
Bio & Medicine
Sep 29, 2026
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Cephalopods are a group of soft-bodied marine mollusks that include cuttlefish, octopuses, squid and nautiluses. Many of these mollusks have muscular suckers on their arms that allow them to seize prey or grip other surfaces ...
Scientists have found how a protein produced by bacteria disrupts the mechanism that controls flower development in plants, turning reproductive organs into leaf-like structures. These findings shed light on a plant disease ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 15, 2026
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35
In a quiet summer garden, a caterpillar perches on a branch, munching serenely on leaves. A moment later, it freezes. It senses danger—and just in time. From behind, a wasp approaches, sizing up its prey.
Plants & Animals
Sep 2, 2026
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Fungal diseases that affect grain crops can be devastating to global agriculture and food security. Fungicides are the most common preventive measure, but as fungal diseases become more prevalent, the pathogens become increasingly ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Aug 4, 2026
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For the first time, a research team from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology and Friedrich Schiller University in Jena, Germany, has demonstrated that insects can mimic floral scents to manipulate pollinators.
Plants & Animals
Jul 29, 2026
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Nature has invented countless types of pointy appendages, and scientists have long sought to explain what makes these structures so effective at puncturing other things. A new study models the key physical characteristics ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 8, 2026
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Some fish swim in synchrony. Others, it turns out, breathe in synchrony. This is true for arapaimas, an obligate air-breathing species living in the Amazon. A new study in Communications Biology, led by the Leibniz Institute ...
Ecology
Jun 23, 2026
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