the.com/coloration
Nature's PR department: same chemicals, infinite spin on what they mean.
means The particular pattern and combination of colors an organism or object has, often serving a purpose like camouflage, warning, or attraction.
from Traces to Latin 'color' (color itself of murky origin, possibly linked to 'celare,' to hide or conceal — an apt ancestor for a word so often about camouflage), with the '-ation' suffix bolted on to turn the simple noun into a process or state. The scientific-sounding '-ation' ending is what gives 'coloration' its clinical, lab-coat feel compared to the plain old 'color' — same pigment, dressed up for a zoology textbook.
- warning vs seduction
- red says both stop and mate with me
- no pigment needed
- peacock blue is just light bending, not dye
- fastest change
- cuttlefish repaint in under a second
- camouflage cost
- hiding well often means hiding from mates too