Data from: Geographic variation in mimetic precision among different species of coral snake mimics

Batesian mimicry is widespread, but whether and why different species of mimics vary geographically in resemblance to their model is unclear. We characterized geographic variation in mimetic precision among four Batesian mimics of coral snakes. Each mimic occurs where its model is abundant (i.e., in “deep sympatry”), rare (i.e., at the sympatry/allopatry boundary or “edge sympatry”), and absent (i.e., in allopatry). Geographic variation in mimetic precision was qualitatively different among these mimics. In one mimic, the most precise individuals occurred in edge sympatry; in another, they occurred in deep sympatry; in the third, they occurred in allopatry; and in the fourth, precise mimics were not concentrated anywhere throughout their range. Mimicry was less precise in allopatry than in sympatry in only two mimics. We present several non-mutually exclusive hypotheses for these patterns. Generally, examining geographic variation in mimetic precision—within and among different mimics—offers novel insights into the causes and consequences of mimicry.

贝茨拟态（Batesian mimicry）在自然界中广泛存在，但不同拟物物种对其模型的拟态相似性是否存在地理变异，以及该变异的驱动机制仍不明确。本研究对4种以珊瑚蛇（coral snakes）为模型的贝茨拟物的拟态精度地理变异特征进行了系统表征。每种拟物的分布范围均覆盖三类区域：其模型物种丰富的“深度同域（sympatry）分布区”、模型物种稀缺的同域-异域分布边界（即“边缘同域分布区”），以及模型物种完全缺失的异域（allopatry）分布区。这4种拟物的拟态精度地理变异模式存在显著的质的差异：其中一种拟物的高精度个体集中于边缘同域分布区；第二种集中于深度同域分布区；第三种集中于异域分布区；第四种的高精度个体在其整个分布范围内无明显聚集特征。仅在两种拟物中，异域分布区的拟态精度显著低于同域分布区。本研究针对上述观测模式提出了若干非互斥的假说。总体而言，针对不同拟物内部及不同拟物之间的拟态精度地理变异开展研究，可为拟态的演化成因与生态后果提供全新的研究视角。