Book Review - Color in Nature - Princeton University Press

      Such a fascinating topic and so well covered! If ever there was a book where the illustrations truly complement the text, this is it! The pictures are both numerous and fabulous.

     Seven illustrious academics combine to produce a cornucopia of information, all presented in a highly readable way - easy reading packed with knowledge is a combination that's hard to beat. 

      As is well known, many animals possess vision that significantly exceeds that of humans, being able to see in the UV spectrum denied to us (tetrachromatic vision). A different arrangement of rods and cones means that many species far exceed our ability to see clearly at long distances, or in poor light. Think only of a Red-tailed Hawk, hunting half a kilometre or more above the ground, yet able to see a mouse scurrying through the grass, and descend on it with pinpoint accuracy. A Barn Owl can see - and capture - its prey in almost total darkness, with unerring accuracy.

     The colour of flowers plays a significant role in the ability of bees to locate those containing nectar. Flowers that appear monochromatic to us look totally different to an insect viewing them through the prism (no pun intended) of ultraviolet light. Fish on a coral reef that appear gaudy, and susceptible to predation on a grand scale, are in fact camouflaged well, and derive protection from their chosen home.

     Colour is intimately involved with mating strategies, both overt and surreptitious. Male cuttlefish, for example, modify their colour to mimic a dull brown female, thereby enabling them to approach females closely and "sneak" matings.

     Camouflage is vital to vulnerable organisms, where remaining hidden is the most viable strategy for staying alive. 

      This book covers every aspect of colour in nature, from the fundamental science to the myriad applications throughout daily life, including that of humans. 

     We are influenced by colour in more ways than we realize, or perhaps care to admit, and now that technology can actually produce colours its influence will only grow. No one knows this better than marketers, and others seeking to influence human behaviour. I was even struck recently at just how much the electoral map is referred to as red states and blue states, without naming a political party, yet everyone knows instantly what is intended.

     It's an eminently fascinating book covering an eminently fascinating topic which has relevance to every aspect of life on Earth. I will be referring to it often, and I will cherish its wisdom. I suspect you will too.

Colour in Nature - Princeton University Press

Justin Marshall, Anya Hurlbert, Jane Boddy, Thomas Cronin, Ron Douglas, Sönke Johnsen and Fabio Cortese.

Hardcover - $35.00 USD, ISBN: 9780691258614

288 pages - 8.5 x 11 inches (21.25 x 27.5 cm)

150+ colour illustrations

Publication date: 29 October, 2024