Shining a light on camouflage evolution: Using genetic algorithms to determine the effects of geometry and lighting on optimal camouflage
Fig 5
Phenotypic change in countershading and pattern shape.
A.i) Targets under direct and mixed lighting became increasingly positive in their luminance gradient. A.ii) Having a more positive render target gradient increased survival time for all substrates under both mixed and direct lighting, except for gravel under the direct lighting condition. B.i) Targets evolved under direct and mixed lighting conditions evolve a greater pattern contrast at larger spatial scales and across all scales when background 3D complexity is high. The red dotted line shows the targets in generation zero, dashed lines show the pattern energy of the diffuse and direct backgrounds. B.ii) Under direct lighting contrasting patterns are more directional and orient vertically against 3D complex backgrounds, arrows indicate whether the population average orientation is vertical or horizontal. Habitat 3D variation is split by the quantiles for the habitats’ mean depth variation across spatial scales.