Optimal background matching camouflage

Background matching is the most familiar and widespread camouflage strategy: avoiding detection by having a similar colour and pattern to the background. Optimizing background matching is straightforward in a homogeneous environment, or when the habitat has very distinct sub-types and there is divergent selection leading to polymorphism. However, most backgrounds have continuous variation in colour and texture, so what is the best solution? Not all samples of the background are likely to be equally inconspicuous, and laboratory experiments on birds and humans support this view. Theory suggests that the most probable background sample (in the statistical sense), at the size of the prey, would, on average, be the most cryptic. We present an analysis, based on realistic assumptions about low-level vision, that estimates the distribution of background colours and visual textures, and predicts the best camouflage. We present data from a field experiment that tests and supports our prediction...

背景匹配是最为常见且应用最广泛的伪装策略：通过使自身色彩与图案与背景保持高度相似，以规避被侦测发现。在均质环境中，或是当栖息地存在界限清晰的亚型、且存在歧化选择（divergent selection）进而引发多态性（polymorphism）时，优化背景匹配的伪装效果相对直观简便。然而绝大多数背景的色彩与纹理均呈现连续变化的特征，此时最优的伪装方案为何？并非所有背景样本都能达到同等的隐蔽效果，针对鸟类与人类开展的实验室实验也佐证了这一观点。相关理论表明，从统计学视角来看，与猎物体型尺度匹配的最具代表性的背景样本，平均而言会是隐蔽性最强的伪装选择。我们基于低级视觉（low-level vision）的现实假设，构建了一套分析框架，可对背景色彩与视觉纹理的分布进行估算，并预测最优的伪装方案。我们还提供了一项野外实验的数据，该实验对我们的预测进行了验证并予以支持……