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The Collaborative International Dictionary
Mimicry

Mimicry \Mim"ic*ry\, n.

  1. The act or practice of one who mimics; ludicrous imitation for sport or ridicule.

  2. (Biol.) Protective resemblance; the resemblance which certain animals and plants exhibit to other animals and plants or to the natural objects among which they live, -- a characteristic which serves as their chief means of protection against enemies; imitation; mimesis; mimetism.

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
mimicry

1680s, from mimic + -ry. Zoological sense is from 1861.

Wiktionary
mimicry

alt. the act or ability to simulate the appearance of someone or something else n. the act or ability to simulate the appearance of someone or something else

WordNet
mimicry
  1. n. the act of mimicking; imitative behavior [syn: apery]

  2. the resemblance of an animal species to another species or to natural objects; provides concealment and protection from predators

Wikipedia
Mimicry

In evolutionary biology, mimicry is a similarity of one species to another that protects one or both. In the case of prey species, it is a class of antipredator adaptation. This similarity can be in appearance, behaviour, sound or scent. Mimics occur in the same areas as their models.

Mimicry occurs when a group of organisms, the mimics, evolve to share perceived characteristics with another group, the models. The evolution is driven by the selective action of a signal-receiver or dupe. Birds, for example, use sight to identify palatable insects (the mimics), whilst avoiding the noxious models.

The model is usually another species, except in cases of automimicry, where for example the back end of a butterfly may resemble its head, deceiving a predator both about where to strike, and the butterfly's likely direction of movement. The deceived signal-receiver is typically another organism, such as the common predator of two species. As an interaction, mimicry is in most cases advantageous to the mimic and harmful to the receiver, but may increase, reduce or have no effect on the fitness of the model depending on the situation. The model may be hard to identify: for example, eyespots may not resemble any specific organism's eyes, and camouflage often cannot be attributed to a particular model.

Mimicry is related to camouflage, in which a species resembles its surroundings or is otherwise difficult to detect. In particular, mimesis, in which the mimic takes on the properties of a specific object or organism, but one to which the dupe is indifferent, is an area of overlap between camouflage and mimicry. For example, animals such as flower mantises, planthoppers and geometer moth caterpillars that resemble twigs, bark, leaves or flowers are mimetic. The difficulty is sometimes avoided by choosing a different term; " crypsis" (in the broad sense) is sometimes used to encompass all forms of avoiding detection, such as mimicry, camouflage and hiding.

Though visual mimicry through animal coloration is most obvious to humans, other senses such as olfaction (smell) or hearing may be involved, and more than one type of signal may be employed. Mimicry may involve morphology, behaviour, and other properties. In any case, the signal always functions to deceive the receiver by preventing it from correctly identifying the mimic. In evolutionary terms, this phenomenon is a form of co-evolution usually involving an evolutionary arms race. Mimicry should not be confused with convergent evolution, which occurs when species come to resemble each other by adapting to similar lifestyles.

Mimics may have different models for different life cycle stages, or they may be polymorphic, with different individuals imitating different models. Models themselves may have more than one mimic, though frequency dependent selection favors mimicry where models outnumber mimics. Models tend to be relatively closely related organisms, but mimicry of vastly different species is also known. Most known mimics are insects, though many other animal mimics are known. Plants and fungi may also be mimics, though less research has been carried out in this area.

Mimicry (band)

Mimicry is an Estonian band. The group is consist from one member Paul Lepasson. He was born in Tartu.

At Eesti Laul 2010 the band took part in the contest with the song "New". The song was written by Timmo Linnas, Kaspar Ehlvest, Ivar Kaine, Kene Vernik and Paul Lepasson. In the final they achieved 851 votes and 8 place.

At Eesti Laul 2011 the band took part in the contest with the song "The Storm", which reached 10 place (885 votes) in final and 4th place in semi-final. The song was written by Paul Lepasson, Timmo Linnas, Kene Vernik, Jaanus Telvar.

At Eesti Laul 2012 the band took part in the contest with the song "The Destination", which reached the semifinals in its sixth place (1,086 votes). The song was written by Paul Lepasson itself. In 2012 Kene Vernik left the group.

Usage examples of "mimicry".

Paul was irresistible in his drollery, and whether it was mimicry or original humour, you could not but revel in its quaint conceits.

Leonid sat on a bucket, kicking out his ankles in a mimicry of the gopak, the Cossack dance.

But I will not undertake the task of distinguishing satire from irony, burlesque, caricature, lampoon, travesty, pasquinade, raillery, billingsgate, diatribe, invective, imitation, mimicry, parody, jokes, hoax, and spoof.

Supposing we played a little before entering upon our serious concern and maintained that all things are striving after Contemplation, looking to Vision as their one end--and this, not merely beings endowed with reason but even the unreasoning animals, the Principle that rules in growing things, and the Earth that produces these--and that all achieve their purpose in the measure possible to their kind, each attaining Vision and possessing itself of the End in its own way and degree, some things in entire reality, others in mimicry and in image--we would scarcely find anyone to endure so strange a thesis.

Garthian sloths, Regalian empaths possessed a remarkable talent for mimicry.

She remembered how the bushes had writhed, like knotted fingers tapping the glass, and how the tentacles of the undergrowth had swayed in mimicry of subaqueous life.

Craer put his hands on his hips in arch mimicry of an affronted lady of high station, clucked in mock disgust, and rolled his eyes.

Paris, apathy which seeks stimulation, lament without talent, a mimicry of strength, the venom of past disappointments which excites to cynicism, and spits upon all that enlarges and grows, misconceives all necessary authority, rejoicing in its embarrassments, and will not hold to any social form.

He wept bitter tears as he was picked up and flung into the saddle, clutching desperately at the reins as the animal bucked and the demons whooped and laughed, capering in mimicry of his helplessness.

Clovis Sangrail, who knew most of his associates by sight, said it was undoubtedly a case of protective mimicry.

If it were urged, that such ideal mimicry, such incessant deception, was unworthy of the God of truth, the Docetes agreed with too many of their orthodox brethren in the justification of pious falsehood.

Supposing we played a little before entering upon our serious concern and maintained that all things are striving after Contemplation, looking to Vision as their one end--and this, not merely beings endowed with reason but even the unreasoning animals, the Principle that rules in growing things, and the Earth that produces these--and that all achieve their purpose in the measure possible to their kind, each attaining Vision and possessing itself of the End in its own way and degree, some things in entire reality, others in mimicry and in image--we would scarcely find anyone to endure so strange a thesis.

She was a queer mixture in those days, would give up any pleasure for Winton, and most for Betty or her aunt--her little governess was gone--but of nobody else did she seem to take account, accepting all that was laid at her feet as the due of her looks, her dainty frocks, her music, her good riding and dancing, her talent for amateur theatricals and mimicry.

He was to-day quite a London narrator, telling us a variety of anecdotes with that earnestness and attempt at mimicry which we usually find in the wits of the metropolis.

A rich yellow light englobed them, and beyond, for a backdrop, a deep green undulation of shrubs and sea grape, shaking their branches as if in mimicry.