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.
The bright plumage of birds is often a feast for the eyes, but it has been a headache for scientists who have struggled to recreate the photonic nanostructures that generate those colors in the lab.
Nanophysics
Oct 26, 2023
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As you watch Morpho butterflies wobble in flight, shimmering in vivid blue color, you're witnessing an uncommon form of structural color that researchers are only beginning to use in lighting technologies such as optical ...
Nanophysics
Oct 12, 2023
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As summer turns to fall, many people will be turning off the air conditioning and firing up heaters instead. But traditional heating and cooling systems are energy-intensive, and because they typically run on fossil fuels, ...
Nanomaterials
Sep 20, 2023
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In nature, the skin of cephalopods (animals with tentacles attached to the head) exhibits unparalleled camouflage ability. Their skin contains pigment groups that can sense changes in environmental light conditions, and they ...
Nanophysics
May 18, 2023
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134
Many organisms in nature have evolved spots with two structural colors on their bodies, like the Papilio Palinurus butterfly. The green color on its wings derives from the turquoise-yellow dual color spots.
Nanomaterials
Sep 14, 2022
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91
The Hercules beetle native to South America has a fascinating trait of changing its shell colors depending on the external humidity conditions. This is because the inside of the beetle's shell consists of porous lattice structure ...
Nanophysics
Apr 13, 2022
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128
They might look like cells and act like cells. But a new potential COVID-19 treatment is actually a cleverly disguised trickster, which attracts viruses and binds them, rendering them inactive.
Bio & Medicine
Apr 11, 2022
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232
Camels have a renowned ability to survive on little water. They are also adept at finding something to drink in the vast desert, using noses that are exquisite moisture detectors. In a new study in ACS Nano, researchers describe ...
Nanomaterials
Jan 20, 2022
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127
Velcro. Airplanes. Sonar. What do these have in common? The invention of each was inspired by nature. Velcro mimics burdock burr's ability to attach to clothing. Birds in flight motivated the eventual development of airplanes. ...
Nanomaterials
Nov 11, 2021
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