Answer: ADAPTIVE COLORATION
Explanation:
Colour and colour patterns play an important role in adaptations of animals. Such adaptive coloration is due to the presence of pigments in cells called CHROMATOPHORES. These cells are involved in coloration and color change which helps an animal to look like another animal to stay protected from predators.
Adaptive coloration may be grouped into :
--> WARNING COLORATION: some animals display bright colours and patterns that announce their presence rather than conceal it. Example is the yellow and black stripes of yellojackets and other wasps which have very painful stings.
--> MIMICRY: colours and patterns are used extensively by mimics. For example, the foul-tasting Actaea butterfly and the poisonous African monarch are mullerian mimics. They resemble each other closely because they have similar colouring and patterns on their bodies.
--> CONCEALING COLORATION: This is used in camouflage. It helps an animal to remain unnoticed by the predator. Certain animals change the colour of their body surfaces to match their environment and so escape detection.
