Britannica Concise 2005

mimicry Similarity between organisms that confers a survival advan¬ tage on one. In Batesian mimicry, an organism lacking defenses mimics a species that does have defenses. In Mullerian mimicry, all species in a group are similar even though all individually have defenses. In aggres¬ sive mimicry, a predatory species mimics a benign species so that it can approach its prey without alarming it, or a parasitic species mimics its host. Some plant species mimic the colour patterns and scents of animals for the purposes of pollination and dispersal. Mimicry differs from cam¬ ouflage in that camouflage hides the organism, whereas mimicry benefits the organism only if the organism is detected.

Mimir Vme-mir\ In Norse mythology, the wisest of the gods of the tribe Aesir. He was also believed to be a water spirit. Mimir was sent by the Aesir as a hostage to the rival gods (the Vanir), but he was decapitated and his head was returned to the Aesir. Odin preserved the head in herbs and gained knowledge from it. Other tales claim that Mimir lived by a well beneath the roots of Yggdrasill, the world tree, and that he was a smith who taught the hero Siegfried his craft.

mimosa Vmo-'mo-soV Any member of the more than 450 species that make up the genus Mimosa in the family Mimosaceae, native to tropical and subtropical areas throughout both hemispheres. Most are herbaceous plants or undershrubs; some are woody climbers; a few are small trees. They are often prickly. Mimosas are widely cultivated for the beauty of their foliage and for their interesting response to light and mechanical stimuli: the leaves of some species droop in response to darkness and close up their leaflets when touched. The name comes from this “mimicking” of animal sensibility. The roots of some species are poisonous; others contain skin irritants. Many acacias are commonly but incorrectly called mimosas. See also sensitive plant.

Min River River, central Fujian province, southeastern China. Rising in the mountains near the Fujian-Jiangxi border, it flows southeast to empty into the China Sea after a course of 358 mi (577 km). The arrival of a railway system in 1957 increased its use for navigation, and there are transshipment points along it.

Min River River, Sichuan province, south-central China. Rising in the Min Mountains of northern Sichuan, it flows southward along the west¬ ern side of the Sichuan Basin and empties into the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang) at Yibin. It is navigable for most of its 350-mi (560-km) course.

Minamata disease X.mi-no-'ma-toV Disease first identified in 1956 in Minamata, Japan. A fishing port, Minamata was also the home of Nippon Chisso Hiryo Co., a manufacturer of chemical fertilizer, carbide, and vinyl chloride. Methyl mercury discharged from the factory contaminated fish and shellfish, which in turn caused illness in the local inhabitants who consumed them and birth defects in their children. The sometimes fatal disease was the first whose cause was recognized as industrial pollution of seawater. It aroused worldwide concern and stimulated the develop¬ ment of the environmental movement.

Minamoto Yoritomo \ 1 me-na- , mo-t6- l y6-re- , t6-mo\ (b. 1147,

Japan—d. Feb. 9, 1199, Kamakura) Founder of the Kamakura shogunate, or bakufu. A member of the Minamoto warrior clan, Yoritomo was banished in his youth as a consequence of his father’s revolt against the reigning Taira family. In exile Yoritomo found support for his cause in Hojo Toki- masa (see Hojo family), and in 1185 he defeated the Taira. In 1192 the clois¬ tered emperor (see insei) granted him the title of shogun, which made him the supreme authority over all military forces in the country. He established his own governors ( shugo) and stewards ( jito ) throughout Japan, thereby creating a governmental infrastructure in competition with, and gradually superseding, that of the imperial court. He was thus able to rule without actually overthrowing the emperor, a pattern that was to be emulated by future shogunates. See also Kamakura period; Gempei War.

Minamoto Yoshitsune N.me-na-'mo-to-.yo-shet-'sun-aV (b. 1159, Japan—d. June 15, 1189, Fort Koromogawa, Mutsu province, Japan) Charismatic half brother of Minamoto Yoritomo who helped bring him victory against the Taira family (see Taira Kiyomori). He was raised in a monastery but ran away at 15 to join Yoritomo. On Yoritomo’s orders, Yoshitsune seized Kyoto and then attacked and defeated the remaining Taira forces along Japan’s Inland Sea. Yoritomo became jealous of Yoshit¬ sune and, though Yoshitsune eluded him for several years, eventually was able to have him killed. The Japanese have long considered Yoshitsune to be the epitome of the underdog hero; many legends, stories, kabuki plays, and even films celebrate his adventures with his faithful follower, the monk Benkei. See also Gempei War.

Minangkabau \,me-naq-ka-'bau\ Any member of the largest ethnic group on the island of Sumatra, Indon. Though Muslim, the Minangka¬ bau are matrilineal. Traditionally, the wife remained with her maternal relatives after marriage; her husband continued to live with his mother but visited his wife. The domestic unit, a community house, held a head woman, her sisters, their daughters, and their children and visiting hus¬ bands. Today that kinship structure has declined, and more men have left their villages to establish their own households with wives and children. Traditional Minangkabau are farmers, and their crafts include wood carv¬ ing, metalwork, and weaving. Some migrated to Malaya (Peninsular Malaysia) in the 1850s to participate in the rapid expansion of Malayan tin mining; over time immigrants switched to farming, and in the 20th century they came to control most of Malaya’s retail trade. The Minang¬ kabau number two to five million.

Minas Basin Vml-nosV Eastern inlet of the Bay of Fundy, into central Nova Scotia. Up to 25 mi (40 km) wide and more than 50 mi (80 km)

Marcel Marceau, French mime, as Bip, a character of his own invention, play¬ ing the violin.

RONALD A. WILFORD ASSOCIATES, INC.

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