We studied selection by predators for cryptic prey coloration in a visually heterogeneous habitat that consists of two microhabitats. It has been suggested that the probability of escaping detection in such habitats might be optimized by maximizing crypsis in one of the microhabitats. However, a recent model indicates that a coloration that compromises the requirements of different microhabitat...

Environmental variation in signalling conditions affects animal communication traits, with possible consequences for sexual selection and reproductive isolation. Using spectrophotometry, we studied how male coloration within and between populations of two closely related Lake Victoria cichlid species (Pundamilia pundamilia and P. nyererei) covaries with water transparency. Focusing on coloratio...

Interest in female ornamentation has burgeoned recently, and evidence suggests that carotenoid-based female coloration may function as a mate-choice signal. However, the possibility that females may signal status with coloration has been all but ignored. Bill coloration of female American goldfinches (Spinus tristis) changes seasonally, from dull gray in winter to bright orange in the breeding ...

We consider the bandwidth coloring problem, a generalization of the well-known graph coloring problem. For the latter problem, a classical theorem, discovered independently by Gallai, Roy and Vitaver, states that the chromatic number of a graph is bounded from above by the number of vertices in the longest elementary path in any directed graph derived by orienting all edges in the graph. We gen...

In this study, a sol-gel peroxotungstic acid sol was employed to deposit tungsten oxide (WO3) films by the spin-coating technique. In view of smart window applications, electrochromic windows were then designed and fabricated using a thin tungsten oxide film. For this purpose, Glass/ FTO/ WO3/ electrolyte/ FTO/Glass could be of use due to its special structure that consists of an electrochromic...

The ability to change coloration allows animals to modify their patterning to suit a specific function. Many freshwater fishes, for example, can appear cryptic by altering the dispersion of melanin pigment in the skin to match the visual background. However, melanin-based pigments are also used to signal dominance among competing males; thus colour change for background matching may conflict wi...