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2 - Crypsis through background matching

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2012

By
Sami Merilaita  and
Martin Stevens
Edited by
Martin Stevens  and
Sami Merilaita
Sami Merilaita
Affiliation:
Åbo Akademi University, Finland
Martin Stevens
Affiliation:
University of Cambridge
Martin Stevens
Affiliation:
University of Cambridge
Sami Merilaita
Affiliation:
Åbo Akademi University, Finland
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Summary

Considering its widespread occurrence and importance in the animal kingdom, background matching is clearly one of the most under-studied means of concealment. Background matching means that to decrease the risk of being detected by its predators or prey an animal possesses body colours or patterns that resemble those in the surrounding environment (Figure 2.1). The principle has long been acknowledged (e.g. Darwin 1794), and because of the apparent obviousness of its function, it was used as an example to promote the idea of adaptation in many early evolutionary texts. For instance, Wallace (1889) presented numerous examples of what we today call background matching, and described various cases in which animals ‘blended into’ their backgrounds or had colours ‘assimilated’ to or to ‘harmonise’ with it.

Type
Chapter
Information
Animal Camouflage
Mechanisms and Function
 , pp. 17 - 33
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2011

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