Time to talk of other things ...

 The complex world of birdsongs and mimicry Some years ago, I came across a fascinating study by BBC on birdsongs that showed the human ear could only detect a subset of the frequencies - by shifting the audio waveform to a human audible frequency it was clear that we were listening to just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. That got me thinking - how complex is the world of birdsongs? Birdsongs are traditionally defined as the long, often complex learned vocalizations produced mostly by males but also by females to attract mates (typically only during mating season) and defend their territories (year-round). In contrast, bird calls are usually shorter, simpler, innately known (not learned) sounds for more discrete functions, such as signalling about predators and food.  Analysis of Parus minor , aka Oriental tit, bird calls by Toshitaka Suzuki and his colleagues at The Graduate University for Advanced Studies in Japan show that the shorter coded message involves syntax, or ...

  Mimicry in Common Mormon Butterflies Today, I happened to spot two male Common Mormon butterflies trying to mate with what looked like a Crimson Rose butterfly - which piqued my interest! Short video   It turns out that the females of the Common Mormon ( Papilio polytes romulus ) are masters of disguise - for some unknown reasons, males haven't quite adopted this as a survival technique.  Source: National Geographic Some females look like regular black-and-white males, but others have evolved - using a so-called supergene - to embellish their wings with white brushstrokes and red curlicues that visually mimic the distantly related Crimson Rose Butterflies that are highly toxic. By mimicking the wing pattern, the female Mormons fool predators into thinking that they are to be likewise avoided. Male Common Mormon (photo: Internet) The definition of mimicry for biology is: “ the resemblance of one organism to another or to an object in its surroundings for concealment an...