SCIENCE DETECTIVES: Why do animals come in so many different colours and patterns?

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itemtype="https://schema.org/BlogPosting"> <div class="main col-md-12" role="main"> <article class="post-20914 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-science-detectives category-stem-in-action category-stem-understanding tag-animal-adaptations tag-animals tag-colour edu_year-year-10 edu_year-year-11 edu_year-year-12 edu_year-year-7 edu_year-year-8 edu_year-year-9 edu_type-podcast edu_subject-biological-sciences"> <header class="riaus"> <div class="riaus__breadcrumbs"> <a class="riaus__breadcrumbs__title brand-color">Resources</a> <div class="listing__terms"> <a href = "https://education.cosmosmagazine.com/resources/podcast/" class="listing__term ">Podcast</a> </div> </div> <div class="riaus__header"> <div class="riaus__wrapper"> <h1 class="entry-title" itemprop="name headline"> SCIENCE DETECTIVES: Why do animals come in so many different colours and patterns? </h1> <div class="riaus__terms grid"> <div> <h3>Years</h3> <span> 7-12 </span> </div> <div class="subjects-topics"> <h3>Subjects/Topics:</h3> <div class="listing__terms__bg"> <a href = "https://education.cosmosmagazine.com/subjects/biological-sciences/" class="listing__term__bg biological-sciences-bg-color">Biological Sciences</a><a href = "https://education.cosmosmagazine.com/category/science-detectives/" class="listing__term__bg science-detectives-bg-color">Science Detectives</a><a href = "https://education.cosmosmagazine.com/category/stem-in-action/" class="listing__term__bg stem-in-action-bg-color">STEM in Action</a><a href = "https://education.cosmosmagazine.com/category/stem-understanding/" class="listing__term__bg stem-understanding-bg-color">STEM Understanding</a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="dialog-container"> <dialog class="favDialog"> <div class="favDialog__body"> <p>Please login to favourite this article.</p> </div> <div class="favDialog__footer"> <button class="button closeDialog">Close</button> <button class="button loginUrl">Login</button> </div> </dialog> <button class="showDialog"> <i class="icon-bookmark"></i> </button> </div></div> </header> <div class="entry-content riaus__article-body" itemprop="articleBody"> <div class="wpb-content-wrapper"><div class="vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid"><div class="wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12"><div class="vc_column-inner"><div class="wpb_wrapper"> <div class="wpb_text_column wpb_content_element " > <div class="wpb_wrapper"> <h2><strong>In this episode of Science Detectives, we explore the rainbow of colours found across the animal kingdom.</strong></h2> <p> </p> <blockquote> <h3>The COSMOS Science Detectives podcast series finds and interrogates the experts to help you answer your burning questions.</h3> </blockquote> </div> </div> </div></div></div></div><div class="vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid"><div class="wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12"><div class="vc_column-inner"><div class="wpb_wrapper"><div class="vc_separator wpb_content_element vc_separator_align_center vc_sep_width_100 vc_sep_pos_align_center vc_separator_no_text vc_sep_color_grey" ><span class="vc_sep_holder vc_sep_holder_l"><span class="vc_sep_line"></span></span><span class="vc_sep_holder vc_sep_holder_r"><span class="vc_sep_line"></span></span> </div></div></div></div></div><div class="vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid"><div class="wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12"><div class="vc_column-inner"><div class="wpb_wrapper"> <div class="wpb_text_column wpb_content_element " > <div class="wpb_wrapper"> <h1><span style="color: #6d6ab4;">Why do animals come in so many different colours and patterns?</span></h1> <p>The animal kingdom is awash with colour and pattern: from black and white striped zebras galloping across Africa, to the gloriously blue Ulysses butterflies, or the bright and splotchy poison dart frogs of the Americas.</p> <p>Animal colouration spans the rainbow, but how do animals actually produce these dazzling displays? And what is their purpose?</p> <p>In this episode of <em><a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/podcast/science-detectives-podcast/">Science Detectives</a></em>, Imma Perfetto, <em>Cosmos</em> magazine science writer, exposes animals’ true colours. She’s joined by Devi Stuart-Fox a professor of evolution and ecology at the University of Melbourne.</p> <p><script src="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1667224/14403109-science-detectives-why-do-animals-come-in-different-colours-and-patterns.js?container_id=buzzsprout-player-14403109&player=small" type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></p> </div> </div> </div></div></div></div><div class="vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid"><div class="wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12"><div class="vc_column-inner"><div class="wpb_wrapper"><div class="vc_separator wpb_content_element vc_separator_align_center vc_sep_width_100 vc_sep_pos_align_center vc_separator_no_text vc_sep_color_grey" ><span class="vc_sep_holder vc_sep_holder_l"><span class="vc_sep_line"></span></span><span class="vc_sep_holder vc_sep_holder_r"><span class="vc_sep_line"></span></span> </div></div></div></div></div><div class="vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid"><div class="wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12"><div class="vc_column-inner"><div class="wpb_wrapper"> <div class="wpb_text_column wpb_content_element " > <div class="wpb_wrapper"> <h1><span style="color: #339985;">More about Science Detectives</span></h1> <p dir="auto">Science can answer most of life’s big and little questions – but you don’t always have scientist on hand to explain their reasoning. Now you do, with a the <em>Cosmos</em> Science Detectives podcast finding the experts and interrogating them to help answer your burning inquiries.</p> <p dir="auto">The crack <em>Cosmos</em> team of newsroom science journalists will leave no stone unturned. 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href="https://education.cosmosmagazine.com/science-detectives-why-are-mangroves-important/"> <p>In this episode of Science Detectives, we explore the important role mangroves play. The COSMOS Science Detectives podcast series finds...</p> </a> </div> <div class="listing__years">Years 7-12</div> </div> </div> </article>  </li>  </div> <div class="tcol-md-4 tcol-sm-4 tcol-xs-6 tcol-ss-12"> <li class="listing__item"> <article class="listing__item__wrapper" id="post-20407" itemscope="" itemtype="https://schema.org/BlogPosting"> <div class="listing__image"> <a href="https://education.cosmosmagazine.com/podcast-next-gen-how-singapore-does-waste-management-differently/"> <img src="https://education.cosmosmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/PodcastNextGen-16x9_David-image_web.jpg?x50614" alt="PODCAST NEXT GEN: How does Singapore do waste management differently?" class="listing__image__item"> </a> </div> <div class="listing__content"> <div class="listing__content__top"> <div class="listing__terms__wrapper"> <div class="listing__terms"><a href = "https://education.cosmosmagazine.com/resources/podcast/" class="listing__term ">Podcast</a></div> <div class="dialog-container"> <dialog class="favDialog"> <div class="favDialog__body"> <p>Please login to favourite this article.</p> </div> <div class="favDialog__footer"> <button class="button closeDialog">Close</button> <button class="button loginUrl">Login</button> </div> </dialog> <button class="showDialog"> <i class="icon-bookmark"></i> </button> </div> </div> <h2 class="listing__title"><a href="https://education.cosmosmagazine.com/podcast-next-gen-how-singapore-does-waste-management-differently/">PODCAST NEXT GEN: How does Singapore do waste management differently?</a></h2> </div> <div class="listing__content__bottom"> <div class="listing__terms__bg"><a href = "https://education.cosmosmagazine.com/subjects/asia-australias-engagement-asia/" class="listing__term__bg asia-australias-engagement-asia-bg-color">Asia & Australia's Engagement with Asia</a><a href = "https://education.cosmosmagazine.com/subjects/earth-environmental-sciences/" class="listing__term__bg earth-environmental-sciences-bg-color">Earth & Environmental Sciences</a><a href = "https://education.cosmosmagazine.com/subjects/sustainability/" class="listing__term__bg sustainability-bg-color">Sustainability</a></div> <div class="listing__summary"> <a href="https://education.cosmosmagazine.com/podcast-next-gen-how-singapore-does-waste-management-differently/"> <p>In this Podcast Next Gen episode, David, a year 12 student from Western Australia, uncovers the ins and outs of...</p> </a> </div> <div class="listing__years">Years 7-12</div> </div> </div> </article>  </li>  </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <aside class="col-lg-3 col-md-4 kad-sidebar" role="complementary" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/WPSideBar"> <div class="sidebar"> </div> </aside> </div> </div> </div> <div class="container container-contained"> <div class="vc_row wpb_row vc_row-fluid"> <div class="wpb_column vc_column_container vc_col-sm-12"> <div class="vc_column-inner"> <div id="search-scroll-target"></div> <div class="search-area"> <div class="search-area__head"> <div id="searchbox" class="search-box-wrapper"></div> <div class="search-area__refinements-container"> <div class="search-area__refinement"> <div class="search-area__refinement__heading" onclick="this.parentNode.classList.toggle('active')"> Years <svg class="search-area__refinement__heading__arrow" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 10 5"> <polygon points="0 0, 10 0, 5 5"></polygon> </svg> </div> <div id="yearsRefinement" class="search-area__refinement__list"></div> </div> <div class="search-area__refinement"> <div class="search-area__refinement__heading" onclick="this.parentNode.classList.toggle('active')"> Subjects <svg class="search-area__refinement__heading__arrow" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 10 5"> <polygon points="0 0, 10 0, 5 5"></polygon> </svg> </div> <div id="subjectsRefinement" class="search-area__refinement__list"></div> </div> <div class="search-area__refinement"> <div class="search-area__refinement__heading" onclick="this.parentNode.classList.toggle('active')"> Resources <svg class="search-area__refinement__heading__arrow" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 10 5"> <polygon points="0 0, 10 0, 5 5"></polygon> </svg> </div> <div id="typesRefinement" class="search-area__refinement__list"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="search-area__body"> <section id="hits" class="search-result-block"></section> <div id="searchPagination"></div> <script type="text/javascript"> (function(w, d) { var b = d.getElementsByTagName('head')[0]; var s = d.createElement("script"); var v = ("IntersectionObserver" in w) ? 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