However, recent advances in the photographic quantification of colour and the visual systems of animals now enable rigorous, non-invasive analyses of colour change, as it occurs and is perceived by conspecifics during social interactions. The relative paucity of investigations undertaken on the signalling role of physiological colour change may be due, in part, to the technological and methodological challenges associated with quantifying such a dynamic trait. cellular and endocrine) controls, with less emphasis on adaptive significance and information content. To date, most research on physiological colour-change signals has focused on simplified on/off signals or mechanistic (e.g. The complexity of chameleon colour change may permit dynamic signalling opportunities for chameleons, whereby they use diverse chromatic elements on the body to reveal distinct information, either over the course of social interactions or across different behavioural contexts. In fact, selection for conspicuous signals is likely to have driven the evolution of display colours for some chameleons. Chameleons (Squamata: Chameleonidae) represent an intriguing subject for research on dynamic coloration because, unlike organisms that undergo localized colour change or rely on achromatic pattern alterations, they exhibit complex colour changes during social interactions. A few taxa (predominantly cephalopods, fish and reptiles) also are capable of physiological colour change during intraspecific interactions. in dead tissues like exoskeleton, scales, feathers and hair), but some animals are capable of undergoing rapid, physiological colour change which allows them to display different colours and patterns in response to changing environmental contexts (e.g. The colour of most animals is relatively fixed (e.g. Interestingly, the body and head locations of the relevant colour signals map onto the behavioural displays given during specific contest stages, with lateral displays from a distance followed by directed, head-on approaches prior to combat, suggesting that different colour change signals may evolve to communicate different information (motivation and fighting ability, respectively). This correlative study represents the first quantification of rapid colour change using organism-specific visual models and provides evidence that the rate of colour change, in addition to maximum display coloration, can be an important component of communication. Males that achieved brighter stripe coloration were more likely to approach their opponent, and those that attained brighter head coloration were more likely to win fights speed of head colour change was also an important predictor of contest outcome. We used recently developed photographic and mathematical modelling tools to examine how rapid colour changes of veiled chameleons Chamaeleo calyptratus predict aggressive behaviour during male–male competitions. of feathers or fur) that can serve as a reliable sexual or social signal, but the communication function of rapidly changing colours (as in chameleons and cephalopods) is poorly understood. Many animals display static coloration (e.g.
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