NCERT · Class 10 · English · Footprints Without Feet: The Making of a ScientistWhat was the purpose of Ebright's project on the viceroy butterflies?

The primary purpose of Richard Ebright's project on viceroy butterflies was to test and prove whether viceroy butterflies imitate monarch butterflies to protect themselves from birds. Since monarch butterflies taste unpleasant to birds, viceroys look remarkably like monarchs to fool predators. Ebright's project successfully demonstrated that birds do indeed eat viceroys if they get the chance, proving that mimicry is an evolutionary defense mechanism.