Stephen Malcolmis at the Dept of Pure and Applied Biology, Imperial College at Silwood Park, Ascot, Berks SL5 7PY, UK.
Trends Ecol Evol. 1990 Feb;5(2):57-62. doi: 10.1016/0169-5347(90)90049-J.
Accounts of mimetic relationships reflect the traditional enthusiasm with which protective adaptations are described. However, our understanding of mimicry remains largely untested. Recent reviews of mimicry embrace many diverse phenomena, from tactics for defence and foraging, to pollination and mating. Selection for these mimetic phenomena is very different in each case and it is important to distinguish among categories of trophic, interspecific mimicry and sexually selected, nontrophic, intraspecific mimicry. Once categories are distinguished, the diversity of selection should clarify misunderstood concepts, such as the 'Batesian-Mallerian mimicry spectrum'. Experimental evidence of the selective value of mimicry is needed so that the advantages to mimics are clear when mimetic prey are confronted with real predator diversity. Such evidence should clarify the debate on how aposematism and mimicry evolve.
拟态关系的描述反映了人们对保护适应性的传统热情。然而，我们对拟态的理解在很大程度上仍未经检验。最近对拟态的综述包括了许多不同的现象，从防御和觅食策略，到传粉和交配。这些拟态现象的选择在每种情况下都非常不同，因此区分营养、种间拟态和性选择、非营养、种内拟态的类别非常重要。一旦区分了类别，选择的多样性应该可以澄清一些被误解的概念，例如“贝茨-马勒尔拟态谱”。需要有关于拟态选择价值的实验证据，以便当拟态猎物面对真正的捕食者多样性时，拟态的优势能够清晰显现。这种证据应该可以澄清关于警戒色和拟态如何进化的争论。
