What are the ways animals produce colours?
Q: What are the ways animals produce colours?
A: Animals produce colours through pigments, chromatophores and other structures, and bioluminescence.
Q: How does animal colour affect survival?
A: Animal colour is determined by natural selection because it affects the survival of animals and their offspring. It can be used for camouflage, signalling to other animals, warning coloration, mimicry, sexual selection and other kinds of signalling.
Q: What is Charles Darwin's 1859 theory of natural selection?
A: Charles Darwin's 1859 theory of natural selection states that features such as colouration evolved by providing individual animals with a reproductive advantage. Individuals with slightly better camouflage than others of the same species would, on average, leave more offspring.
Q: What are some examples of how animal colour helps in predator-prey relationships?
A: Examples include camouflage to remain hidden from view; signalling to other animals not to attack; taking advantage of another species' warning coloration; unexpected flashes of colour or eyespots; confusing a predator by moving a bold pattern (such as zebra stripes) rapidly; physical protection such as humans having dark skin pigments which protect against sunburn and skin cancer.
Q: What is incidental colouration?
A: Incidental colouration is common in plants which have green leaves due to chlorophyll being green. In animals it is rare but when red shows on the surface it is often due to selection such as human red lips.
Q: What kind of functions does animal colour serve?
A: Animal colour serves functions such as finding prey or evading capture, finding a mate or signalling to other animals - all essential for life and survival.
