Postcard 4 - Gemma Collard
Animals that have evolved over time to look like other species are incredibly interesting in their own right, but perhaps of more interest is behavioural change that evokes authenticity of mimicry. A particular video that comes to mind is this one, wherein an owl is frightened, and contorts itself to give the appearance of being a cat. Changing from the shape of a more vulnerable bird to the well recognised predator allows the owl some degree of power through mimesis. This is a curiosity, but not as curious as the way birds are able to control human language. Not just control in fact, but comprehend. Interesting too though is the way birds emulate one another as well, often for social gain.
It is hard to dispute that animals who make us curious are animals we will pay more attention to. This leads me to consider the way that mimicry might play into empathy. The idea of 'charismatic megafauna' identifies that the amount of appeal an animal has has a bearing on our conservation efforts. More specifically, our ability to empathise with animals is what leads us to care enough to fight for their rights. To draw the conversation back to matters of the insect world, how might we begin to raise awareness for the cause of insects when they seem almost inherently difficult to empathise with? I think this problem relates well to the idea of the 'underground' discussed by the marginal worlds cluster, in the way that insects are overlooked by us, much like minerals often are.
