Ancient civilizations understood that sunlight provides visibility, warmth, health and vitality.
Their understanding of how sunlight provides these life-sustaining influences was immersed …

Fluorescence is a physico-chemical energy exchange where shorter-wavelength photons
are absorbed by a molecule and are re-emitted as longer-wavelength photons. It has been …

Understanding the role of multiple colour signals during sexual signalling is a central theme
in animal communication. We quantified the role of multiple colour signals (including …

To what extent do individuals assess the cognitive abilities of the opposite sex when
choosing a mate? With the exception of song learning in birds, the hypothesis that cognitive …

Recent behavioural experiments have shown that birds use ultraviolet (UV)–reflective and
fluorescent plumage as cues in mate choice. It remains controversial, however, whether …

Papers on sexual selection often highlight the incredible diversity of sexually selected traits
across animals. Yet, few studies have tried to explain why this diversity evolved. Animals use …

The occurrence of biofluorescence across Mammalia is an area of active study. We
examined three specimens of the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) from Tasmania and …

Fluorescence is emitted by diverse living organisms. The analysis and interpretation of these
signals may give information about their physiological state, ways of communication among …

Fluorescence of visible wavelengths under ultraviolet (UV) light has been previously
detected in a wide range of birds, reptiles, and amphibians and a few marsupial mammals …

Although several bird species have been shown to reflect ultraviolet (UV) light from their
plumages, the incidence of UV reflectance, and therefore the potential for UV or UV …