Practice question

Resemblance between unrelated model and mimic is an example of convergent evolution produced by selective advantage, not shared ancestry or gene flow. Individuals in the mimic population that more closely match a signal already avoided by predators survive and reproduce at higher rates. Across generations, selection increases alleles affecting color, shape, movement, odor, or other relevant traits, even though the model belongs to a separate lineage. Habitat sharing can create the ecological opportunity because both organisms encounter the same receivers, but proximity alone does not generate adaptive similarity. Gene flow generally occurs within species or between sufficiently compatible populations and cannot normally transfer traits between distantly related model and mimic. Social bonding is likewise unnecessary. The resemblance is maintained only while receiver behavior provides a fitness benefit; if the mimic becomes too common or local predators do not recognize the model, selection may change. Thus, similarity is explained by independent evolutionary responses to a common selective environment, with predator perception determining which aspects of the model are copied most closely.