Animals such as certain octupae, the chamleon, et cetera, are capable of incredile feats of natural camo. This trait apparently evolved several times independently and it seems to be incredibly complex. How precisely does this work? How do the cells and tissues mimic so accurately the patterns and visual textures of things they are touching? What do we also know about the evolutionary pattern that leads to this sort of amazing process?
The Mechanism and Evolution of Natural Camo
- Thread starter Prince_James
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The eyes pick up the pattern and it's brain imitates it. Humans and many animals already have a limited color change ability. We blush. I'm not sure about the specific adapation of octopi or chameleons, but the process is simple, the more it can resemble it's surroundings, the more it can spread the genes for resembling it's surroundings. There is also the factor of sexual selection, alot of it's function is in signaling to a potential mate, like the peacock's tail.
Spidergoat:
I mean what is the actual process? How does visual sight correspond to their skin changing colour?
Blush occurs from blood vessels expanding under the skin. This isn't camo. We aren't mixing in with the enviroment almost perfectly.
Camo would...hide them from their mates, no?
I mean what is the actual process? How does visual sight correspond to their skin changing colour?
Blush occurs from blood vessels expanding under the skin. This isn't camo. We aren't mixing in with the enviroment almost perfectly.
Camo would...hide them from their mates, no?
Chromatophores in the skin. They're actually somewhat like pixels on a television screen. They're pigment cells of various colors that expand when desired.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromatophore
They also, of course, have the ability to change not only the color of their skin but also the texture.
A cuttlefish playing bush:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromatophore
They also, of course, have the ability to change not only the color of their skin but also the texture.
A cuttlefish playing bush:
That shit is fucking incredible, to put it bluntly.
Thanks. I'll pursue this.
Thanks. I'll pursue this.
By the way, they don't only use their ability for camouflage. They can and do put on some pretty spectacular displays.
Some interesting videos:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/camo/change.html
I've seen footage of a cuttlefish lighting up half of it's body in a sexually exciting pulsing way, and the other half in a threatening way. The sexy way was facing a female cuttlefish and the threatening side was facing the onlooking rival males. Even when the cuttlefish had to change sides due to the female moving, it would just switch what it's sides were displaying without missing a beat. Pretty awesome.
The saddest thing I've seen was a family of asians eating writhing live octapai, they'd change into the colour of their white plates while they were being torn apart. It's hard to say whether they were "camo-ing" or just white with fright (they do generally opt for white when frightened). Fucking asians.
The saddest thing I've seen was a family of asians eating writhing live octapai, they'd change into the colour of their white plates while they were being torn apart. It's hard to say whether they were "camo-ing" or just white with fright (they do generally opt for white when frightened). Fucking asians.
Enmos
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