Colour discrimination is in the background

Many creatures prefer to blend in with the surroundings – it makes for a quieter life – while others opt for ostentation with flamboyant colourful displays. However, some animals might make more of a splash when placed against a similarly coloured background. Peter Olsson from Lund University, Sweden, explains that humans are particularly good at distinguishing subtle differences between colours that are placed against a shade of a close hue. Yet, it wasn’t clear whether other species could also benefit from a boost in their ability to distinguish close shades depending on the backdrop. Curious to find out howmuch of a difference the backgroundmakes, Olsson and his colleagues, Robin Johnson, Olle Lind and Almut Kelber, also from Lund University, turned to chicks to find out how well they could distinguish shades of orange or green against backgrounds of one or the other colour.