Disruptive camouflage impairs object recognition |
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Authors: | Richard J. Webster Christopher Hassall Chris M. Herdman Jean-Guy J. Godin Thomas N. Sherratt |
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Affiliation: | 1.Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada, K1S 5B6;2.Centre for Visualization and Simulation (VSIM), Institute of Cognitive Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada, K1S 5B6;3.School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS23JT, UK |
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Abstract: | Whether hiding from predators, or avoiding battlefield casualties, camouflage is widely employed to prevent detection. Disruptive coloration is a seemingly well-known camouflage mechanism proposed to function by breaking up an object''s salient features (for example their characteristic outline), rendering objects more difficult to recognize. However, while a wide range of animals are thought to evade detection using disruptive patterns, there is no direct experimental evidence that disruptive coloration impairs recognition. Using humans searching for computer-generated moth targets, we demonstrate that the number of edge-intersecting patches on a target reduces the likelihood of it being detected, even at the expense of reduced background matching. Crucially, eye-tracking data show that targets with more edge-intersecting patches were looked at for longer periods prior to attack, and passed-over more frequently during search tasks. We therefore show directly that edge patches enhance survivorship by impairing recognition, confirming that disruptive coloration is a distinct camouflage strategy, not simply an artefact of background matching. |
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Keywords: | crypsis background matching disruptive coloration vision eye tracking edge detection |
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