Date of Award
1-1-2019
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D. in Biological Science
First Advisor
Brice P. Noonan
Second Advisor
Richard Buchholz
Third Advisor
Ryan Garrick
School
University of Mississippi
Relational Format
dissertation/thesis
Abstract
Scientists have regarded mimicry as one of the most amazing examples of the power of natural selection. Early observations by naturalists of the mimetic association between venomous New World coral snakes of the genus Micrurus and harmless mimics has stimulated an intense debate about the causes and consequences of mimicry that persists today. Despite its medical, evolutionary and historical importance our understanding of evolution within the genus Micrurus is negligible. My dissertation explores the evolution of mimicry within South American coral snakes and their mimics using a multi-scale framework involving macroevolutionary (Chapter I), geographic/morphological concordance (Chapters II and III), behavioral (Chapter IV), and phylogeographic (Chapter V) approaches. I show that warning coloration is widespread, liable and positively correlated with speciation rates. I found that Micrurus species behave as Müllerian mimics. Oxyrhopus guibei is a potential mimic of the genus Micrurus and mimetic precision is independent of model’s species richness but dependent on which part of the snake’s body is being studied. I also demonstrate that social interactions might be an underappreciated factor on the evolution of mimicry. Finally, I explore the phylogeographic history of M. surinamensis and M. lemniscatus and provide an interpretation of their distinct patterns of evolution with implications for Micrurus’ taxonomy.
Recommended Citation
Janke Bosque, Renan, "The Evolution Of Coral Snake Mimicry" (2019). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 1927.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/1927