37
Views
3
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Research Article

Deceive, and be deceived!

Pages 170-174 | Published online: 07 Jul 2009
 

Abstract

In their struggle for life, many species, for example prokaryotes, plants and animals, defend themselves by producing substances which may poison or disorientate (potential) enemies (grazers/predators etc), or signal information which puts (potential) enemies on the wrong track. Examples of poisonous/disorientating substances include prussic acid (e.g. almonds) or morphine (papaver), examples of 'false' visual cues include the appearance of harmless hoverflies which strongly resemble 'dangerous' wasps or certain orchid flowers which resemble the female sex organs of certain insects ('mimicry'). Misleading is an essential part of communication systems.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.