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lvr- t1_itcxdwg wrote

Reply to comment by SecretNature in is it the case that poisonous animals tend to be colourful and if so why is it that they tend to evolve to be colourful moreso then other animals? by HumbleProdiGenius

That does not explain why non poisonous caterpillars does not get more colorful over time

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jysalia t1_itd0riu wrote

The non-poisonous ones that are least flashy and best at hiding are the ones who survive to reproduce. Their offspring will continue to pass down those traits.

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lvr- t1_itd1ebf wrote

This would also be true for poisonous caterpillars, they also could increase their chances to survive if they get or stay inconspicuous (hide better)

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jysalia t1_itd1or3 wrote

But if more of them are surviving because they have visual warnings against being eaten than are surviving because they are good at hiding, those visual warning genes will dominate in the population.

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Ldent t1_itd50uz wrote

This does happen! Sometimes! Small populations or small portions of larger populations will begin looking like their inedible counterparts over time. The problem with this - inedibility isn't a perfect defense. A few inedible individuals will still get eaten and spat out. If the markers that signify inedibility become less reliable (as in, there are greater numbers of edible mimics), then the selection pressures of "don't eat the red striped caterpillars" will weaken, and the selection pressure to be a mimic will as a consequence also weaken. Like parasite - host population trends, this leads to an oscillation between a greater number of mimics and their relative collapse, depending on the specifics of the situation.

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lvr- t1_itd23sy wrote

Yes but we do not have data about that. Also, non poisonous caterpillars could increase their chances of survival if they develop the same flashy pattern as the poisonous ones

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