A Workshop in Ecology and Behaviour seminar hosted by the School of Biological Sciences
Animal colouration is vital to the ecology and evolution of predators and prey species. For example, certain colour patterns aid in camouflaging prey and predators alike, whilst others warn of underlying chemical defences. Differences across animal vision exist from the early stages of visual processing to perception, cognition and behaviour. Considering these differences when studying the design and function of defensive animal colouration is crucial.
The ’Quantitative Colour Pattern Analysis’ (QCPA) enables the quantification of colours and patterns of visual scenes considering the physiology of non-human observers. I will provide a brief introduction to the modelling of non-human visual perception and explain basic mechanisms of QCPA. I will then cover some recent and ongoing studies using QCPA in various contexts. These range from behavioural experimentation with tropical reef fish to the investigation of the ecology and evolution of defensive colouration in nudibranch molluscs on the east coast of Australia.
ALL WELCOME