Using the article answer the following questions.
1. In their concluding sentence, the authors state the following:
“Our study supports the egg mimicry hypothesis and is an instance of a plant structural trait resulting from coevolution with an insect herbivore.” Please explain what they mean by this statement in your own words.
2. Is the authors’ conclusion justified by their data? Why or why not? Describe one strength and one weakness of the experiment presented by Williams and Gilbert.
3. Irrespective of your answer to question #1, the scientific method suggests that researchers should carry out follow-up experiments on the Heliconius and Passiflora system? Describe two types of data that you would like to collect to further investigate the role of coevolution in this system.
4. Let’s suppose that the natural mimic trait in Passiflora cyanea is controlled by a single gene. Answer the following questions about the evolution of this trait:
a. What evolutionary mechanism gave rise to the very first plant with an egg mimic structure?
b. At some point in the evolutionary history of Passiflora cyanea, some plants would have had the egg mimic structure and some would not have had it. Explain how the egg mimic structure (and the allele controlling this structure) might have increased in frequency. What mechanism for evolutionary change do you think would have been involved in this change in allele frequency?
c. Provide one plausible explanation for why Passiflora oerstedii does not have the egg mimic structure.
