Abstract
The dazzling stripes found on zebras and snakes have long been thought to interfere with predator motion perception, but this hypothesis has received little empirical support to date. Butterflies demonstrate enormously diverse and high-contrast wing patterns, the function of which has inspired intense theoretical debate and research. We at the Exeter Visual Ecology Lab suggest that butterfly wing patterns work in tandem with flight dynamics to create visual illusions that confuse predators. In this talk I will showcase, using multiple methods of enquiry, that butterfly patterns do indeed influence motion, with numerous species possessing patterns that misdirect through illusions generated by their wing movements and patterns. These methods include high speed videography, advanced 3D rendering, biologically inspired motion detectors, digital evolution of butterfly patterns, and behavioural experiments. We have since applied these techniques to a wider range of problems, including the identification of when digital stimuli might not match their real-world counterparts.
Biography
My career has primary focused on how animal colouration and movement influence their observers, though my broader interest is in the functional ecology of animals. Over the past 8 years I have worked with a variety of animals, including crustaceans, fish, birds, butterflies, and humans. My work largely integrates a mix of 3D modelling, animation, field work, behavioural experiments, and computer games.
For my master’s at the University of Bristol, I investigated the influence of dynamic underwater lighting on moving object detection by humans and crabs. George then moved to the University of Exeter in 2019 for his PhD on the camouflage and conservation of lapwing (Vanellus vanellus), which later shifted to a broader focus on the influence of lighting and habitat structure on camouflage and its evolution due to COVID-19. During this time, I developed the CamoEvo Toolbox for ImageJ, which allows users to “evolve” reaction diffusion patterns with a genetic algorithm. This tool has since been used to investigate how direct vs diffuse lighting influences camouflage, how behaviour and posture influence camouflage evolution, and even individual mate preferences in swordtail fish (Xiphophorus helleri). After completing my PhD in 2023, I moved abroad to the University of Helsinki for my first postdoc. While there I helped to develop an updated system for running highspeed touch screen experiments with birds, and a suite of additional functions for the psychtoolbox to aid in the ease of designing camouflage and motion experiments, dubbed PECK. These tools were used to investigate how biologically inspired patterns may be used to help reduce the likelihood of bird collisions with wind turbines. After finishing at Helsinki, I returned to the University of Exeter in 2025 where I am now carrying out a four-year BBSRC postdoc investigating how butterfly wing patterns influence motion detection and perception.
In addition to my research, I frequently engage in citizen science and outreach. I give talks in schools, and I recently developed the putative Camouflage Dinosaur Project, which integrates CamoEvo with assets from the game Prehistoric Kingdom to produce an interactive learning tool for the importance of camouflage for animal ecology and survival.