Topic
Countershading
About: Countershading is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 77 publications have been published within this topic receiving 4738 citations. The topic is also known as: Thayer's Law.
Papers published on a yearly basis
Papers
1 Jan 1978
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explore the factors that determine color patterns under various specific conditions and show that the actual pattern evolved in a particular place represents a compromise between factors which favor crypsis and those which favor conspicuous color patterns.
Abstract: It has long been known that the general colors and tones of animals tend to match their backgrounds (E. Darwin, 1794; Poulton, 1890). The adaptive significance of this has been borne out in numerous experimental studies (DiCesnola, 1904; Sumner, 1934, 1935; Isley, 1938; Popham, 1942; Dice, 1947; Turner, 1961; Kettlewell, 1956, 1973; Kaufman, 1974; Wiklund, 1975; Curio, 1976). There is also a good understanding of warning coloration (Cott, 1940; Wickler, 1968; Edmunds, 1974; Rothschild, 1975). However, the determinants of color pattern are poorly known, although it is known in a general way that the patterns and forms of animals are similar to their backgrounds (Poulton, 1890; Thayer, 1909; Cott, 1940; Wickler, 1968; Robinson, 1969; Edmunds, 1974; Fogden and Fogden, 1974). It is the purpose of this paper to explore the factors that determine color patterns under various specific conditions. The basic assumption is that a color pattern must resemble a random sample of the background seen by predators in order to be cryptic, and must deviate from the background in one or more ways in order to be conspicuous. As a result, the actual pattern evolved in a particular place represents a compromise between factors which favor crypsis and those which favor conspicuous color patterns.
1,224 citations
TL;DR: The study of camouflage has a long history in biology, and the numerous ways of concealment and disguise found in the animal kingdom provided Darwin and Wallace with important examples for illustrating and defending their ideas of natural selection and adaptation.
Abstract: The study of camouflage has a long history in biology, and the numerous ways of concealment and disguise found in the animal kingdom provided Darwin and Wallace with important examples for illustrating and defending their ideas of natural selection and adaptation. Thus, various forms of camouflage
777 citations
TL;DR: The topic has been revived and modern phylogenetic methods have been applied to large data sets, allowing researchers to assess, for the first time, the relative importance of three classic hypotheses for the function of coloration in mammals: concealment, communication, and regulation of physiological processes.
Abstract: Coloration is a diagnostic tool for identifying mammals, but inquiry into its function has lain dormant for almost a century. Recently, the topic has been revived and modern phylogenetic methods have been applied to large data sets, allowing researchers to assess, for the first time, the relative importance of three classic hypotheses for the function of coloration in mammals: concealment, communication, and regulation of physiological processes. Camouflage appears to be the single most important evolutionary force in explaining overall coloration in mammals, whereas patches of colored fur are used for intraspecific signaling. Sexual selection is associated with flamboyant ornamentation in a minority of primates and other restricted mammalian taxa, but to a far lesser extent than in birds. Interspecific signaling among mammals includes aposematic coloration, exaggeration of signals to deter pursuit, and lures for misdirecting predatory attack. Physiological causes of coloration, including melanis...
563 citations
Book•
7 Jul 2011
TL;DR: In this article, a case study of multiple cue use in the cuttlefish is presented, where the hidden body parts of the fish are camouflaged through coincident disruptive coloration.
Abstract: 1. Animal camouflage: an introduction Martin Stevens and Sami Merilaita 2. Crypsis through background matching Sami Merilaita and Martin Stevens 3. The concealment of body parts through coincident disruptive coloration Innes C. Cuthill and Aron Szekely 4. The history, theory and evidence for a cryptic function of countershading Hannah M. Rowland 5. Camouflage breaking mathematical operator and countershading Ariel Tankus and Yehezkel Yeshurun 6. Revisiting Abbott H. Thayer: non-scientific reflections about camouflage in art, war and zoology Roy R. Behrens 7. Camouflage behaviour and body orientation on backgrounds containing directional patterns Richard J. Webster, Alison Callahan, Jean-Guy J. Godin and Thomas N. Sherratt 8. Camouflage and visual perception Tom Troscianko, Christopher P. Benton, P. George Lovell, David J. Tolhurst and Zygmunt Pizlo 9. Rapid adaptive camouflage in cephalopods R. T. Hanlon, C. C. Chiao, L. M. Mathger, K. C. Buresch, A. Barbosa, J. J. Allen, L. Siemann and C. Chubb 10. What can camouflage tell us about non-human visual perception? A case study of multiple cue use in the cuttlefish Sarah Zylinski and Daniel Osorio 11. Camouflage in marine fish Justin Marshall and Sonke Johnsen 12. Camouflage in decorator crabs: integrating ecological, behavioural and evolutionary approaches Kristin Hultgren and John J. Stachowicz 13. Camouflage in colour changing animals: trade-offs and constraints Devi Stuart-Fox and Adnan Moussalli 14. The multiple disguises of spiders Marc Thery, Teresita C. Insausti, Jeremy Defrize and Jerome Casas 15. Effects of animal camouflage on the evolution of live backgrounds Kevin R. Abbott and Reuven Dukas 16. The functions of black and white colouration in mammals: review and synthesis Tim Caro 17. Evidence for camouflage involving senses other than vision Graeme D. Ruxton Index.
157 citations
TL;DR: Overall body coloration across lagomorphs tends to match the background as shown for pale and red coloration and perhaps seasonal pelage change, and ear tips appear to have a communicative role since they are conspicuous in many different habitats.
Abstract: Lagomorph pelage coloration was matched to habitat type, geographical region, altitude and behaviour to explore the adaptive significance of coloration patterns in this little-studied order of mammals. Analyses were conducted with and without taking phylogeny into account. The former analyses were based on a weighted, phylogenetic supertree for all extant species of lagomorphs that we constructed using morphological and molecular data from 146 papers in the literature. Although our analyses represent an initial, somewhat crude investigation, several clear trends are evident. First, overall body coloration across lagomorphs tends to match the background as shown for pale and red coloration and perhaps seasonal pelage change. The case for countershading being a method of concealment is far less strong. Second, ear tips appear to have a communicative role since they are conspicuous in many different habitats. Third, hypotheses for tail tips having a communicative role, for extremities being dark for physiological reasons, and for Gloger's rule received only partial support.
154 citations
Related Topics (5)
Performance Metrics
| Year | Papers |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2017 | 7 |
| 2016 | 1 |