A comparison of animal color measurements using a commercially available digital color sensor and photograph analysis  

作　　者：Alex D.Potash Daniel U.Greene Gabrielle A.Foursa Verity L.Mathis L.Mike Conner Robert A.McCleery 

机构地区：[1]Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation,University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Science,Gainesville,FL 32611,USA [2]Weyerhaeuser Company,Environmental Research South,Columbus,MS 39701,USA [3]Department of Biology,University of Florida,Gainesville,FL 32611,USA [4]Florida Museum of Natural History,University of Florida,Gainesville,FL 32611,USA [5]The Jones Center at Ichauway,Newton,GA 39870,USA

出　　处：《Current Zoology》2020年第6期601-606,共6页动物学报（英文版）

基　　金：Funding for this study was provided by Florida's State Wildlife Grant through Florida's Wildlife Legacy Initiative.

摘　　要：An animal's pelage,feather,or skin color can serve a variety of functions,so it is important to have multiple standardized methods for measuring color.One of the most common and reliable methods for measuring animal coloration is the use of standardized digital photographs of animals.New tech no logy in the form of a commercially available handheld digital color sensor could provide an alter native to photography-based animal color measurements.To determine whether a digital color sensor could be used to measure animal coloration,we tested the ability of a digital color sensor to measure coloration of mammalian,avian,and lepidopteran museums specimens.We compared results from the sensor to measurements taken using traditional photography methods.Our study yielded significant differences between photography-based and digital color sensor measurements of brightness(light to dark)and colors along the green to red spectrum.There was no difference between photographs and the digital color sensor measurements for colors along the blue to yellow spectrum.The average difference in recorded color(AE)by the 2 methods was above the threshold at which humans can perceive a difference.There were sign讦icant correlations between the sensor and photographs for all measurements indicating that the sensor is an effective animal coloration measuring tool.However,the sensor's small aperture and narrow light spectrum range designed for human-vision limit its value for ecological research.We discuss the conditions in which a digital color sensor can be an effective tool for measuring animal coloration in both laboratory settings and in the field.

关 键 词：animal coloration color measurement comparative method digital photography museum specimens Nix color sensor 

分 类 号：Q95[生物学—动物学]