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Motion dazzle and camouflage as distinct anti-predator defenses

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StevensetalBMCBiology2011MotionDazzle.pdf (988.1Kb)
Date
25/11/2011
Author
Stevens, Martin
Searle, W. Tom L.
Seymour, Jenny E.
Marshall, Kate L. A.
Ruxton, Graeme Douglas
Keywords
QH301 Biology
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Abstract
Background: Camouflage patterns that hinder detection and/or recognition by antagonists are widely studied in both human and animal contexts. Patterns of contrasting stripes that purportedly degrade an observer's ability to judge the speed and direction of moving prey ('motion dazzle') are, however, rarely investigated. This is despite motion dazzle having been fundamental to the appearance of warships in both world wars and often postulated as the selective agent leading to repeated patterns on many animals (such as zebra and many fish, snake, and invertebrate species). Such patterns often appear conspicuous, suggesting that protection while moving by motion dazzle might impair camouflage when stationary. However, the relationship between motion dazzle and camouflage is unclear because disruptive camouflage relies on high-contrast markings. In this study, we used a computer game with human subjects detecting and capturing either moving or stationary targets with different patterns, in order to provide the first empirical exploration of the interaction of these two protective coloration mechanisms. Results: Moving targets with stripes were caught significantly less often and missed more often than targets with camouflage patterns. However, when stationary, targets with camouflage markings were captured less often and caused more false detections than those with striped patterns, which were readily detected. Conclusions: Our study provides the clearest evidence to date that some patterns inhibit the capture of moving targets, but that camouflage and motion dazzle are not complementary strategies. Therefore, the specific coloration that evolves in animals will depend on how the life history and ontogeny of each species influence the trade-off between the costs and benefits of motion dazzle and camouflage.
Citation
Stevens , M , Searle , W T L , Seymour , J E , Marshall , K L A & Ruxton , G D 2011 , ' Motion dazzle and camouflage as distinct anti-predator defenses ' , BMC Biology , vol. 9 , 81 . https://doi.org/10.1186/1741-7007-9-81
Publication
BMC Biology
Status
Peer reviewed
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1741-7007-9-81
ISSN
1741-7007
Type
Journal article
Rights
© 2011 Stevens et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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  • University of St Andrews Research
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/10023/3253

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