colors in nature

all living things communicate. communication through touch can happen if a cat is nestled against a leg, or by the smell, if a fruit smells appetizing. a bird sings his song and used the sound for his message. a flower is emblazoned in bright colors, its medium is the light.
in animal and plant kingdom are frequently used colors to vital functions. the extremely high speed of light makes the colors to one of the best means of communication. no other signal is faster, and that nature has to use well understood. we know of course that the eye in all higher developed animal species, the most important sense organ is. the simple vision of the lower animals often based only on light-sensitive cells in the skin of the animal. this is particularly true for worms and larvae, which therefore can not perceive colors.
at a higher stage of development we find insects, birds, fish and reptiles. they all seem to be able to perceive color. it follows a large group of mammals, where the different color vision is well pronounced. pets such as dogs, cats, pigs, and ungulates may be proved to have several different colors, while rodents perceive only light contact. a genetic explanation for the latter phenomenon would be that the first mammals a long time were only nocturnal and color vision is not developed. all higher primates (monkeys, apes and humans) have on the other hand, a refined color vision. however, the combination of day and night vision, it is the human eye is unsurpassed.
with bright colors attract birds, insects and plants for foraging and pollination at the same time. for many plants and fruits, it is based on the respective color drawing recognizable, whether they are edible or poisonous. fruits are especially monkeys and birds as an important food source. the corresponding colors of the fruits, therefore, in the sight of these animals, particularly the resulting tightened. fliegenpilz, belladonna or opium poppy, however, are by their colors and are repulsive so as to poison plants.
many animals are specialized for certain colors, which the plants use it. in insects, for example, is the perception of blue color particularly, they are therefore particularly from flowers in the ultraviolet and blue-white color dressed. birds and butterflies are on the other hand, other skills of perception. your color vision is focused on red hues. the birds pollinating flowers are usually bright red in color. in addition, there are flowers, after pollination, and change color thus signaling that they do not want another visit.
even in the animal colors are used, a sexual partner to be brought to light. most male birds strut with a colorful feather jewelry around, and one with the striking plumage eventually wins the favor of the courted female. pavia females, however, show their willingness by her red buttocks.
colors influence in the animal not only the mating behavior, but to some extent regulate the hierarchy and some instincts. in birds, the feeding of offspring by their throat color boys controlled. this is also the reason why the small kukkuck the colors dominated by deception, succeeds his foster parents to mislead. many species also use colors to mark their territory. colors serve as a warning. most striking is the combination of yellow and black, which seems natural for toxic and aggressive animals has reserved. bees, wasps, tigers, leopards, poisonous frogs and coral snakes belong to this family. the giraffe is the only exception.
certain color combinations can also serve as camouflage: the drawing of the zebras, the blotchy skin of the toad, the green color of the aphid. at the most elegant is perhaps the chameleon this problem solved, it can be perfectly adapted to the respective background. but the plaice, some frogs and ermine improve their chances of survival by a color change, the different speeds succeed.
most females are inconspicuous bird speckled gray-brown as their eggs. this makes them harder to discover what happened during the breeding season is particularly advantageous. it is for the females of vital importance, even minimal color to be identified and subtle nuances to be sensitive. this old instinct may be to blame for the advanced capability of the human female, perceiving colors. disturbances in color vision, or even farbblindheit occur in women is extremely rare to only 0.5 percent of the female, but io per cent of the male population suffer. it is likely that the color vision of modern man until today by the experience of the primitive times marked, and we are further parallels between plant and animal kingdom and the people.
therapy of color of karl ryberg mosaik verlag 1992 page 12-15