Eyespots

Karin Kjernsmo

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingEntry for encyclopedia/dictionary

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Abstract

Eyespots are animal color patterns consisting of (roughly) circular, often concentric rings of contrasting colors. Eyespots have received their name because (at least to humans) they often resemble the vertebrate eye. Eyespots are common in many terrestrial (land-living) animals such as insects (particularly in larval and adult moths and butterflies), birds and reptiles, but they are also widespread in many aquatic animals such as mollusks, flatworms and fishes (Poulton 1890). Eyespots are highly variable in appearance and occur in a variety of sizes, number and color combinations. Laboratory studies on butterflies have shown that the processes that explain the development of eyespot patterns are relatively simple and that it requires only one or at least very few changes in the regulatory genes to change the position, color and number of eyespots...
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationEncyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science
EditorsTodd K. Shackelford, Viviana A. Weekes-Shackelford
PublisherSpringer, Cham
ISBN (Electronic)9783319169996
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 3 May 2017

Publication series

NameBehavioral Science and Psychology

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