Through their studies of bones, fossils, and geology, paleontologists have uncovered the prehistoric worlds of Earth's past. We watch movies and TV shows of computer generated versions of long-extinct ...

This article was originally featured on The Conversation. Patterns on animal skin, such as zebra stripes and poison frog color patches, serve various biological functions, including temperature ...

A team of researchers has discovered new insights into the evolution of color patterns in frogs and toads -- collectively known as anurans. Animal color patterns can help them camouflage with their ...

In many animals, skin colors and patterns play an essential role, whether for camouflage, communication, or thermoregulation. In corn snakes, some lineages display red, yellow, or pink hues, and their ...

In the last 20 years, the field of animal coloration research has experienced explosive growth thanks to numerous technological advances, and it now stands on the threshold of a new era. In the last ...

More than 70 years ago, mathematician Alan Turing proposed a mechanism that explained how patterns could emerge from bland uniformity. Scientists are still using his model—and adding new twists—to ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. GrrlScientist writes about evolution, ecology, behavior and health. The giant panda's black and white markings are unique in the ...

Scientists studying ancient fossils of a small feathered dinosaur have discovered that it had a bandit’s mask as well as a striped tail, rather like today’s raccoons. The eye-catching plumage of ...

Ankur Gupta receives funding from NSF (CBET - 2238412) and ACS Petroleum Research Fund (65836 - DNI9). A thought experiment can help visualize the challenge of achieving distinctive color patterns.

A recent study has illuminated the evolutionary journey of color vision in animals, revealing a surprising timeline: animals developed the ability to see colors around 500 million years ago—well ...