DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Batesian mimicry: the evolution of deceptive coloration

University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill NC

Investigators

Abstract

In Batesian mimicry, a harmless animal resembles a dangerous one to deceive its predators. Natural selection for mimicry is strong, but we do not know how species? responses to selection are mediated by the genetic and biochemical mechanisms available to them for adaptation, or how the selection imposed by predators is affected by their sensory systems. This project will explore these questions in the scarlet king snake (Lampropeltis elapsoides), which imperfectly mimics the deadly eastern coral snake (Micrurus fulvius). The first part of this project will examine the chemicals that models and mimics use to produce their deceptive coloration, and how this deceptive coloration is perceived by their predators. The second part of the project will explore the possibility that mimicry can evolve via phenotypic plasticity (when the same genes produce different phenotypes in different environments). This project will help us understand how species produce their adaptations from different genes, why species do not always evolve to fit the demands of selection perfectly, and how the interactions between organisms are shaped by their preexisting characteristics. At the same time, this project will provide educational outreach for young scientists by providing them with opportunities to experience research first-hand, and will broaden access to science by actively recruiting members of under-represented groups.