Poems and Thoughts    by Frank Maurer

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Mimicry. As a child, I was always fascinated with mimicry in nature. Flies that evolved to depict bees and butterflies to mimic each other. There are scores of examples--just get a good book! As a New England boy, I was fixed on the Monarch/Viceroy phenomenon. The Monarch caterpillar feeds and survives on milkweed with all its toxins. The adult emerges crystalis-wise as a toxic adult, flashing warnings of red. Young birds, et al, soon learn of this terrible taste, And are severely dissuaded from preying on this deceptively delicious morsel. Somehow, along comes a similarly red tidbit, but delicious--the Viceroy. Over time the Viceroy butterfly evolved ever-closer to better mimic the Monarch. The Viceroy is tasty--the Monarch is not. Selection and adaptation finally favored both these species. As my thinking progressed, and just for fun, I looked at human 'mimicry'. This was not genetic, but rather behavioral mimicry. Consider the Romans invading the Celtic world with a plethora of red-haired women. The warriors brought the tales of these exotic-looking females Back to their dark-haired women. Soon, red hair dyes were concocted to be equal to that of the attractive Celts, Thus confirming my thoughts concerning the notion of behavioural mimicry. Who knows, in addition, what genetic mutations might have resulted from such? Just a Thought! Frank Maurer 12 July 2025 1410 Hours.