Equivocation (homonymy)

Biological Parallel

Biological signaling systems face equivocation constantly. Honeybee alarm pheromone signals 'threat' to workers but attracts parasites that exploit the signal. Vervet monkey alarm calls are precise for known predators but fail for novel threats. Photuris fireflies mimic Photinus mating flashes to lure prey — same signal, fatal disambiguation failure. Ophrys orchids produce wasp pheromones that mean 'mate' to pollinators and 'trap' to the plant. Same signal, different meanings, and the receiver who cannot disambiguate pays the cost.