This is a very interesting topic
My new Time magazine just came and there is mention of it in the articles about brain research shows that mimicry stimulated what is called "mirror Neurons" areas responsible for language and social behavoir. Apes, momkeys and macaques are mentioned as test subjects.
snip:
"The links that are emerging between movement and meaning have inspired some scientists to see the mirror-neuron system as the biological foundation on which human language is constructed. Such speculation is supportrd indirectly by the fact that Broca’s area- a critical language center in the left hemisphere of the human brain- appears to be a close analogue of the motor mirror region in monkeys. Broca’s area, it turns out, is important for sign language as well as spoken language…….
it’s conection to the mirror system has led (researchers) to to propose that language traces it’s roots to hand gestures and facial expressions.."
The article is: Time ,January 29, 2007, pp108
Mimicry is how organisms try to protect themselves by resembling their surround, isn’t it? If it is so, my lovely seahorse and its relative seadragon, pipefish, seaghost (Family: Synghathidae) are experts for it! 🙂
there are also other types of mimicry.
batesian mimicry is when a harmless species mimics a dangerous one
mullerian mimicry is when two species mimic each other to confuse predators.
But surround ressembling seems not one of thos types, at this situation organism confuse predator by "atak to wrong obgect" either by hiding itself – by prevention the atak.
Dr. Stein those pictures are incredible. I’m always amazed by the complexity and diversity of life.
Mimicry occurs all over the place. In the Northwest US where I live, you can find gopher snakes that mimic rattle-snakes. They’ll coil up and shake their tail, just like a rattler, but they don’t have rattles. It really freaked me out the first time I ran across one.
One very common form of mimicry, especially in tropical or marine environments, is bright coloration. Bright colors typically signal to potential predators that the organism is poisonous (such as poison dart frogs, certain echinoderms, etc).
