Pike Thomas W
Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9EZ, UK School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Riseholme Park, Lincoln LN2 2LG, UK
Biol Lett. 2015 Apr;11(4):20150159. doi: 10.1098/rsbl.2015.0159.
Interference coloration, in which the perceived colour varies predictably with the angle of illumination or observation, is extremely widespread across animal groups. However, despite considerable advances in our understanding of the mechanistic basis of interference coloration in animals, we still have a poor understanding of its function. Here, I show, using avian predators hunting dynamic virtual prey, that the presence of interference coloration can significantly reduce a predator's attack success. Predators required more pecks to successfully catch interference-coloured prey compared with otherwise identical prey items that lacked interference coloration, and attacks against prey with interference colours were less accurate, suggesting that changes in colour or brightness caused by prey movement hindered a predator's ability to pinpoint their exact location. The pronounced anti-predator benefits of interference coloration may explain why it has evolved independently so many times.
干涉色，即所感知的颜色会随照明角度或观察角度而发生可预测的变化，在动物群体中极为普遍。然而，尽管我们在理解动物干涉色的机制基础方面取得了相当大的进展，但我们对其功能仍然知之甚少。在这里，我通过让鸟类捕食者追捕动态虚拟猎物的实验表明，干涉色的存在会显著降低捕食者的攻击成功率。与没有干涉色的相同猎物相比，捕食者需要更多次啄击才能成功捕获具有干涉色的猎物，而且对具有干涉色猎物的攻击准确性较低，这表明猎物移动引起的颜色或亮度变化阻碍了捕食者精确确定其确切位置的能力。干涉色明显的反捕食者益处或许可以解释它为何多次独立进化。
