Download 11/11/08

11/11/08
SI A ECL 365
1. What is coloration a result of?
a. Result of light waves, transmitted or reflected off of a surface, that are
detected by the eye.
2.
Describe general characteristics of chemical colors.
a. Produced by large chemical molecules (pigments), may be present in skin
of varying structures of vertebrates, absorb some light waves and reflect
others, can be loose in skin or located in chromatophores
3.
What are the four types of chemical colors?
a. Melanins, carotenoids, tetrapyrroles, guanines
4.
Describe Melanins.
a. Produce browns, blacks, dull red, dark purple
5. Describe Carotenoids.
a. Also called lipochromes, fat based, produce bright reds, yellows, oranges
b. Verts can’t produce them, must get them from food (flamingo pink color
from carotenoid diet)
c. Generally produced by plants
6.
Describe Tetrapyrroles.
a. Produce red in blood and pinkish hue of humans
7.
Describe Guanines
a. Small crystal-like structures that produce silver colors.
8.
What are two types of structural colors?
a. Scattering of light and interference
9.
Describe scattering of light.
a. Surface irregularities scatter light, produce blue and violets
10. Describe interference.
a. Also called iridescent
b. Some wavelengths are reflected well and some are not therefore, as the
view changes the color may change
11. How is the color green achieved?
a. Combination of structural blue with carotenoid yellow (chemical and
structural color)
12. What is white?
a. Scattering of all light waves
13. How do colors change?
a. Growth change – different colors in young and adults, hair color in
humans
b. Seasonal changes
c. Rapid changes
14. True / False Seasonal color changes are primarily found in birds, but not
mammals.
a. False – both
15. Where is seasonal color change prominent?
a. Arctic
16. Where does rapid color change take place?
a. Chromatophore
17. How quickly can rapid color changes occur?
a. Days, hours, minutes
18. How does rapid color change occur?
a. Rearranging pigments in chromatophores
19. What are the functions of color?
a. Signal other species or predators
b. Signal same species (repro. Displays)
c. Physiological advantages (absorb/reflect heat)
20. Describe cryptic coloration (general description)
a. Predator never realizes prey is around (predation event can’t happen)
b. Most animals
21. What are the types of not detected cryptic coloration?
a. Disruptive colors, countershading, cover-eye
22. Describe disruptive colors.
a. Series of blotches of color
b. Blotches called chevron
c. Breaks up organisms outline
23. Describe countershading
a. found in organisms living in the open
b. Dark on dorsal side, lighter on ventral
c. High light intensity on the top of body bleaches out the dorsal color and
makes the ventral side look lighter
24. Describe cover-eye.
a. Predators look for the eye
b. Eye is covered with a stripe to blend into the body and false eye spot on
tail
25. What is detected-not recognized cryptic coloration?
a. Animal (prey) resembles a common object
b. Object typically not part of predator’s search image and goes
unrecognized
26. What is mimicry?
a. 2 species with very similar color patterns.
27. What is aposematic coloration?
a. Instead of hiding, have bright warning coloration that contrasts with
surroundings.
b. Organisms with this coloration frequently has toxins.
c. Coloration serves as signal to potential predator
i. Predator must learn to avoid aposematic color patterns
28. What are the types of mimicry?
a. Batesian mimicry, Mullerian mimicry, Mertensian mimicry
29. Describe Batesian mimicry.
a. Model has unpleasant attribute, mimic does not have attribute, but if
predator tries model first then there may be consequence.
30. Describe Mullerian mimicry.
a. Both model and mimic unpalatable.
b. Both benefit from color similarity
31. Describe Mertensian mimicry.
a. Moderately poisonous species is model
b. Mimic is very poisonous species
c. Predators avoid pattern due to natural instincts.