In shallow water, downwelling light is refracted from surface waves onto the substrate
creating bands of light that fluctuate in both time and space, known as caustics. This …

Camouflage is one of the most widespread antipredator strategies in the animal kingdom,
yet no animal can match its background perfectly in a complex environment. Therefore …

There is huge diversity in visual systems and color discrimination abilities, thought to stem
from an animal's ecology and life history. Many primate species maintain a polymorphism in …

We examined how the distribution of colors in natural images varies as the seasons change.
Images of natural outdoor scenes were acquired at locations in the Western Ghats, India …

Disruptive colouration is a visual camouflage composed of false edges and boundaries.
Many disruptively camouflaged animals feature enhanced edges; light patches are …

Avian egg colours and patterns are spectacularly diverse and provide a wonderful system to
study both the functional and mechanistic basis of animal colouration. In order to do this, it is …

Cryptic coloration may evolve in response to selective pressure imposed by predators, yet
effective intraspecific communication may require some level of detectability. This creates a …

The illumination in natural environments varies through the day. Stable inferences about
surface color might be supported by spatial ratios of cone excitations from the reflected light …

Mimicry of a harmless model (aggressive mimicry) is used by egg, chick and fledgling brood
parasites that resemble the host's own eggs, chicks and fledglings. However, aggressive …

Sexual selection typically produces ornaments in response to mate choice, and armaments
in response to male–male competition. Unusually among mammals, many primates exhibit …