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Mertensian

Mertensian is an adjective derived from the surname Mertens. In general usage it may describe things related to or named after people bearing that surname, and in biology it is most commonly encountered in reference to Mertensian mimicry, a proposed form of mimicry in which a highly dangerous species resembles a less dangerous one.

This arrangement is argued to work because predators learn to avoid the warning pattern after encounters with

The term is mainly found in evolutionary biology and ethology, and as with other eponymous terms its

See also: Batesian mimicry; Müllerian mimicry; aposematism.

the
less
dangerous
model,
thereby
indirectly
protecting
the
dangerous
mimic.
Proponents
emphasize
the
importance
of
the
relative
danger
of
the
model
and
the
ecology
of
learning
by
predators.
Critics
point
to
limited
empirical
support
and
to
the
complexity
of
mimicry
dynamics,
noting
that
many
systems
are
better
explained
by
Batesian
or
Müllerian
mimicry
or
by
other
anti-predator
strategies.
precise
usage
can
vary
by
author.
Some
texts
discuss
Mertensian
mimicry
alongside
other
types
of
mimicry
to
illustrate
the
spectrum
of
predator-prey
signaling
and
the
role
of
learning,
patterning,
and
ecological
context
in
shaping
survival
strategies.