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automimicry
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automimicry

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Quick Summary

Automimicry is a biological phenomenon where members of the same species mimic each other. This can occur in two main ways:1

  1. Mimicry between sexes: In some species, one sex may have a physical characteristic that serves as a model for the other sex. For example, defenseless male bees and wasps may be protected from predators because they resemble the stinging females of the same species.12

  2. Mimicry between body parts: Some organisms develop parts of their body to resemble other, more dangerous parts, such as their teeth or horns, to appear more formidable to predators.1

This mimicry provides an evolutionary advantage, as it can help protect individuals from predation.2

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2 Britannica Sources
  1. automimicry
  2. mimicry - Automimicry

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