Color Pattern Research Articles

LeafLaminaMap: Exploring Leaf Color Patterns Using RGB Color Indices

The color of the plant leaves is a major concern in many areas of agriculture. Pigmentation and its pattern provide the possibility to distinguish genotypes and a basis for annual crop management practices. For example, the nutrient and water status of plants is reflected in the chlorophyll content of leaves that are strongly linked to the lamina coloration. Pests and diseases (virus or bacterial infections) also cause symptoms on the foliage. These symptoms induced by biotic and abiotic stressors often have a specific pattern, which allows for their prediction based on remote sensing. In this report, an RGB (red, green and blue) image processing system is presented to determine leaf lamina color variability based on RGB-based color indices. LeafLaminaMap was developed in Scilab with the Image Processing and Computer Vision toolbox, and the code is available freely at GitHub. The software uses RGB images to visualize 29 color indices and the R, G and B values on the lamina, as well as to calculate the statistical parameters. In this case study, symptomatic (senescence, fungal infection, etc.) and healthy grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) leaves were collected, digitalized and analyzed with the LeafLaminaMap software according to the mean, standard deviation, contrast, energy and entropy of each channel (R, G and B) and color index. As an output for each original image in the sample set, the program generates 32 images, where each pixel is constructed using index values calculated from the RGB values of the corresponding pixel in the original image. These generated images can subsequently be used to help the end-user identify locally occurring symptoms that may not be visible in the original RGB image. The statistical evaluation of the samples showed significant differences in the color pattern between the healthy and symptomatic samples. According to the F value of the ANOVA analysis, energy and entropy had the largest difference between the healthy and symptomatic samples. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and support vector machine (SVM) analysis provided a perfect recognition in calibration and confirmed that energy and entropy have the strongest discriminative power between the healthy and symptomatic samples. The case study showed that the LeafLaminaMap software is an effective environment for the leaf lamina color pattern analysis; moreover, the results underline that energy and entropy are valuable features and could be more effective than the mean and standard deviation of the color properties.

Polarization Manipulated Transmissive Structural Color Based on Dual Complementary Nanograting Cavities

Abstract2D structural color metasurfaces have emerged as an ideal and sustainable alternative to chemical dyes due to their stability and environment‐friendly attributes. In this study, a polarization‐manipulated transmissive structural color based on dual complementary nanograting cavities (DC‐NGC) is proposed and experimentally validated. The DC‐NGC structure is implemented with Ag‐covered dielectric nano gratings sitting on a substrate with a thin dielectric and metallic film. It is found that not only strong polarization dependent and wavelength selective transmission occurs in the structure, but also an additional selective absorption under transverse magnetic (TM) incidence for high‐order transmission associated with the inherent multiple nanocavity resonant modes. These features make both high design flexibility and a rich color palette with a narrow linewidth possible. Experimental demonstrations are performed by validating the polarization‐dependent and wavelength‐selective behaviors, fabricating a color palette with varying structural parameters and three different vibrant and colorful patterns showcasing diverse colors under different polarization states. The proposed dual‐nanograting‐cavity color filter with versatile polarization colors and superior color purity holds significant potential in various applications, including full‐color filtering, display, and micro‐pattern anti‐counterfeiting.

Damsels in Disguise: Development of Ultraviolet Sensitivity and Colour Patterns in Damselfishes (Pomacentridae).

Damselfishes (Pomacentridae) are widespread and highly abundant on tropical coral reefs. They exhibit diverse body colouration within and between the ~250 species and across ontogenetic stages. In addition to human-visible colours (i.e., 400-700 nm), most adult damselfishes reflect ultraviolet (UV, 300-400 nm) colour patches. UV sensitivity and UV colour signals are essential for feeding and form the basis for a secret communication channel invisible to the many UV-blind predatory fish on the reef; however, how these traits develop across ontogenetic stages and their distribution across the damselfish family is poorly characterised. Here, we used UV photography, phylogenetic reconstructions of opsin genes, and differential gene expression analysis (DGE) of retinal samples to investigate the development of UV vision and colour patterns in three ontogenetic stages (pre-settlement larval, juvenile, and adult) of 11 damselfish species. Using DGE, we found similar gene expression between juveniles and adults, which strongly differed from larvae. All species and all stages expressed at least one UV-sensitive sws1 opsin gene. However, UV body colour patterns only started to appear at the juvenile stage. Moreover, Pomacentrus species displayed highly complex UV body patterns that were correlated with the expression of two sws1 copies. This could mean that some damselfishes can discriminate colours that change only in their UV component. We demonstrate dramatic shifts in both UV sensitivity and UV colouration across the development stages of damselfish while highlighting the importance of considering ontogeny when studying the coevolution of visual systems and colour signals.

Comprehensive exploration of visual working memory mechanisms using large-scale behavioral experiment

Two decades of research on visual working memory have produced substantial yet fragmented knowledge. This study aims to integrate these findings into a cohesive framework. Drawing on a large-scale behavioral experiment involving 40 million responses to 10,000 color patterns, a quasi-comprehensive exploration model of visual working memory, termed QCE-VWM, is developed. Despite its significantly reduced complexity (57 parameters versus 30,796), QCE-VWM outperforms neural networks in data fitting. The model provides an integrative framework for understanding human visual working memory, incorporating a dozen mechanisms—some directly adopted from previous studies, some modified, and others newly identified. This work underscores the value of large-scale behavioral experiments in advancing comprehensive models of cognitive mechanisms.

Sniffing Colors - Color associations for descriptors and odors of the MONEX-40 test.

Research on odor-color associations provides insights into brain processes that integrate attributes from seemingly independent senses, forming crossmodal correspondences. Since multisensory integration is based, among others, on semantic congruency, we aimed to provide a color profile - encompassing hue, saturation, and lightness - for the standardized MONEX-40 test. This color profile will enable the use of odor-congruent or odor-incongruent colors in olfactory-visual studies. In Study 1, participants completed an online survey, selecting colors corresponding to each descriptor in the smell test. The analysis revealed distinct color patterns, highlighting the importance of learning in descriptor-color associations. Study 2 explored color associations for all 40 odors of the MONEX-40 at different time points. Initially, participants reported color associations based solely on odor perception. Then, they identified the odor from a set of four descriptors and reassigned colors after odor identification. Both qualitative and quantitative methods, including statistical tests and ΔE (CIE 2000) analysis, demonstrated shifts in color associations after odor identification, affecting hue, saturation and lightness. This research deepens our understanding of how color associations form in response to various stimuli, including descriptors and odors. The findings have scientific relevance, as mentioned above, but also practical applications in product development, particularly in the food and cosmetics industries, where combining specific colors and odors can enhance product appeal.

And growth on form? How tissue expansion generates novel shapes, colours and enhance biological functions of Turing colour patterns of Eukaryotes.

Evidenced in zebrafishes skin and Mimulus petal, Turing-like mechanisms are probably responsible for many periodic color patterns of Eukaryotes. They are characterized by the mathematical relationships linking their cellular or molecular actors, the periodicity and the geometrical range of the patterns they produce: spots, stripes or mazes. Nevertheless, some periodic patterns such as leopard iconic rosettes required additional ingredients to explain their formation. Growth being the main candidate, we extensively explore its multiple facets, at the Eukaryotes scale. We show that far beyond the particular feline coat pattern, putative-growth Turing color patterns are present in many diverse lineages of plants and animals and seem absent in Fungi and unicellular lineages. Using models, we show the many ways growth can induce new shapes and colors, and that putative-growth pattern locations correlates with tissue hot spots of growth, suggesting the latter as the underlying mechanism. By reverse reasoning, we show that growth effects could reveal crucial information about pattern formation. We show how putative growth patterns can contribute to influence organisms visibility, thereby improving camouflage or aposematism. Our results demonstrate the range of morphogenetic roles that tissue expansion can take, by interacting with a scale-sensitive mechanism, here Turing-like patterning. Considering this extensive overview of its biological importance, both qualitatively and quantitatively, links between growth and form might more than ever needed to be explored.

Analysis of Morphological Characteristics and Growth Patterns of Uceng Fish Nemacheilus fasciatus (Valenciennes, 1842) on the Setail River, Banyuwangi, East Java

Indonesia's. Setail River is one of the longest rivers in Banyuwangi Regency. Setail River has high potential for fishery biodiversity. One of the fish that is often found in Setail River is Barred loach or known locally as Uceng Fish (Nemacheilus fasciatus). The purpose of this study was to determine the morphological characteristics and determine the relationship between length, weight and condition of Uceng fish in Setail River. Observation of color patterns and special characteristics of sample fish morphologically Nemacheilus fasciatus with characteristics including Having a brown body color, a small elongated body (fusiform). On the body there is a longitudinal black spot pattern, a dorsal pattern resembling a saddle, a homocercal tail fin type, an emarginate tail morphology (slightly concave). The type of mouth is subterminal inferior and has 3 pairs of barbels. Meristic observations of uceng fish have pectoral fins, pelvic fins, dorsal fins, tail fins and anal fins. In this study, an analysis of the relationship between length and weight showed that the growth pattern of the uceng fish was negative allometric and the condition factor obtained the range of condition factor values for male uceng fish during the study at each station for male uceng fish 0.68-1.35 and female uceng fish 0.68-1.40.

The evolution of wasp mimicry and biogeography in the genus Temnostoma (Diptera: Syrphidae).

One of the most remarkable examples of Batesian mimicry occurs in the genus Temnostoma Le Peletier & Audinet-Serville, 1828 (Diptera: Syrphidae). Adults of this genus have an overall resemblance to hymenopterans combined with behavioural mimicry (they move the fore legs in front of the head mimicking hymenopteran antennae). While some species of Temnostoma are considered highly accurate mimics of social wasps, other species have a darker colour pattern and are rather relatively poor yellowjacket mimics. Both colour phenotypes are widespread through the Holarctic. Here, we infer for the first time the evolutionary history of the genus with special focus on the evolution of mimicry and biogeography. With material covering 75 % of known species of Temnostoma and both colour phenotypes from each biogeographical region, we inferred a molecular phylogeny based on six molecular markers (mitochondrial protein-coding COI gene, nuclear 28 s rRNA gene, and four nuclear protein-coding genes: AATS, CK1, TULP, and RBP-15). Using Bayesian inference, we obtained a highly resolved phylogenetic tree supporting the monophyly of the genus Temnostoma as a sister group of genus Takaomyia Hervé-Bazin, 1914. Within Temnostoma, Te. daochus and Te. barberi (two Nearctic species with strikingly different mimicry patterns) were found to be closely related to each other and together form a lineage sister to the rest of the genus. Our results suggest that the behavioural mimicry of wasp antennae is a plesiomorphic state inherited from a common ancestor that includes the genera Temnostoma and Takaomyia. Within Temnostoma, the dark colour pattern (poor yellowjacket mimicry) appears to be an ancestral state and highly accurate social wasp mimicry has appeared two times independently within the genus. In some species inhabiting northern parts of the Holarctic, secondary darkening and consequent degradation of the yellowjacket mimicry appeared. This indicates high evolutionary plasticity and ongoing selection pressure on morphological characters related to mimicry in hover flies.

A new species of catfish, Pterocryptis vorax (Actinopterygii: Siluridae), from northern Borneo

This study describes Pterocryptis vorax, a new species of silurid catfish from the upper reaches of the Temburong River drainage in Brunei Darussalam, northern Borneo. Pterocryptis vorax is distinguished from congeners in having a unique combination of the following characters: rictal lobe ending at vertical posterior to posterior orbital margin, deep lower jaw with a more gently curved anteroventral margin, a color pattern of densely distributed dark brown patches on the flanks that coalesce to form a reticulate pattern, a dark vertical band at the caudal-fin base, 46–57 anal-fin rays and 48–49 vertebrae. Sexual dichromatism in Pterocryptis is also reported for the first time here.

Wound Healing in Butterfly Pupal Wing Tissues: Real-Time In Vivo Imaging of Long-Range Cell Migration, Cluster Formation, and Calcium Oscillations

Insects can repair wounds and regenerate body parts in response to physical damage. Wound healing in butterfly pupal wing tissues is developmentally interesting because ectopic color patterns develop during healing, suggesting that normal and damage-induced color patterns may use similar mechanisms. Here we physiologically investigated wound healing and ectopic color pattern formation in butterfly pupal wing tissues using the blue pansy butterfly Junonia orithya. In response to physical puncture damage, various ectopic color patterns are formed around the damage site. After the wounding operation, we observed hemocytes migrating over long distances along the wing veins (lacunae) toward the damage site, where hemocytes and epidermal cells formed cellular clusters. Calcium oscillations were observed in cells at and near the damage site. Calcium oscillations were transiently affected by ruthenium red, an inhibitor of calcium transporters and channels, and ruthenium red caused various abnormalities in the scales of adult wings. These results suggest that cell migration, cluster formation, and calcium oscillations play important roles in wound healing and scale development at and near the damage site. Ectopic color patterns may develop in response to local calcium oscillations as a consequence of the evolutionary co-option of the healing process for normal development.

Functions of thyroid hormone signaling in regulating melanophore, iridophore, erythrophore, and pigment pattern formation in spotted scat (Scatophagus argus)

BackgroundSpotted scat, a marine aquaculture fish, has variable body color development stages during their ontogenesis. However, the regulatory mechanism of body color patterns formation was poorly understood. Thyroid hormones (TH) function as an important endocrine factor in regulating metamorphosis. In this study, exogenous thyroid hormones 3,5,3′-L-triiodothyronine (T3) and its inhibitor thiourea (TU) were used to treat spotted scat juveniles during the metamorphosis stage (from 60 to 90 dpf). The function and molecular mechanism of thyroid hormone signaling in regulating body color patterns formation was revealed, using the micro-observation of pigments cells distribution, colorimetric evaluation and carotenoids concentration measurement by spectrophotometry, and comparative transcriptome analysis.ResultsSpotted scat body color patterns consisted of whole body black color, black bar, black and red spots, and its final pattern was formed through the metamorphosis. When spotted scat were treated with the inhibitor TU to disrupt thyroid hormone signaling, the levels of T3 and T4 were significantly decreased, the melanophores numbers were significantly increased, as well as the expression of genes involved in melanin synthesis and melanophore differentiation (tyr, tyrp1, dct, mitf, pmel, oca2, slc24a5, and erbb3) was significantly increased. Besides, the expression of genes associated with carotenoids and pteridine metabolism (apod, pnpla2, rdh12, stard10, xdh, abca1, retsat, scarb1, rgs2, and gch1) and carotenoids accumulation were stimulated, when thyroid hormone signaling was disrupted by TU. On the contrary, the levels of T3 and T4 were significantly elevated in spotted scat treated with T3, which could weaken the skin redness and reduce the number of black spots and melanophores, as well as the number and diameter of larval erythrophores. Notably, unlike melanophores and erythrophores, the differentiation of iridophore was promoted by thyroid hormones, gene related to iridophore differentiation (fhl2-l, fhl2, ltk, id2a, alx4) and guanine metabolism (gmps, hprt1, ppat, impdh1b) were up-regulated after T3 treatment, but they were down-regulated after TU treatment.ConclusionsAbove results showed that thyroid hormone signaling might play critical roles in regulation pigments synthesis and deposition, thereby affecting pigment cells (melanophores, iridophores and erythrophores) formation and body color patterns. The mechanisms of hyperthyroid and hypothyroid on different pigment cells development were different. Excess thyroid hormone might impact the rearrangement of melanophore by regulating cell cycle, resulting in the abnormalities of black spots in spotted scat. Meanwhile, the excessed thyroid hormone could reduce the number and diameter of larval erythrophores, as well as weaken the skin redness of juvenile erythrophores, but they were enhanced by the disruption of thyroid hormone. However, the formation of iridophore differentiation and guanine synthesis genes expression were stimulated by thyroid hormones. These findings provide new insights for exploring the formation of body color patterns in fish, and help to elucidate the molecular mechanism of thyroid hormone in regulating pigment cell development and body coloration, and may also contribute to selective breeding of ornamental fish.

Hierarchical Nanocellulose Photonic Design for Synergistic Colored Radiative Cooling.

Daytime radiative cooling (DRC) materials offer a sustainable, pollution-free passive cooling solution. Traditional DRC materials are usually white to maximize solar reflectance, but applications like textiles and buildings need more aesthetic options. Unfortunately, colorizing DRC materials often reduce cooling efficiency due to colorant sunlight absorption. Thus, this study reports a hierarchical photonic structure consisting of photoluminescent scatterer networks and a nanocellulose cholesteric structure. This design effectively addresses the trade-off between cooling efficiency and coloration, achieving enhanced cooling through synergistic all-day coloration. Sustainable nanocellulose with highly ordered cholesteric structures selectively reflects visible wavelengths, generating structural color and high mid-infrared (MIR) emission. The photoluminescent scatterer networks enhance reflectance and convert absorbed light into photoluminescent emission, further promoting cooling. This synergistic photonic interaction results in a significantly enhanced high reflectance of 92%, high MIR emissivity of >90%, stable and tunable structural color appearance, and hours-long afterglow photoluminescence. Consequently, a subambient cooling of up to 11.3 °C under sunlight is attainable, accompanied by the ability to produce programmable structural color and photoluminescent patterns for daytime and nighttime visibility. The enhanced cooling efficiency achieved through the synergistic interplay of four optical mechanisms from the UV to MIR region offers a promising design paradigm for other DRC materials.

Effects of plant growth retardant and gibberellin on flower coloration patterns of Petunia × hybrida

Effects of plant growth retardant and gibberellin on flower coloration patterns of Petunia × hybrida

Historical biogeography and systematics of yellow-bellied toads (Bombina variegata), with the description of a new subspecies from the Balkans

Abstract The Balkan Peninsula hosts a great proportion of Europe’s biodiversity, and this is well illustrated by amphibian richness and endemism. Among them, the yellow-bellied toad Bombina variegata has been a model in ecology and evolution, but several aspects of its phylogeography and taxonomy remain surprisingly poorly understood. In this study, we combine cytochrome b DNA barcoding data (1238 individuals from 355 localities), mitogenome phylogenetics (17.2 kb), gene-based nuclear phylogenetics (3.7 kb from four gene fragments) and multilocus phylogenomics (4759 loci / ~554 kb obtained by double digest Restriction Associated DNA sequencing; ddRAD-seq) to re-assess the diversification of B. variegata, and revisit its nomenclatural history to assign scientific names to phylogeographic lineages. The analyses support four major lineages, one assigned to B. v. variegata (Carpathians and northwestern ranges), one assigned to B. v. pachypus (Apennine Peninsula), and two assigned to B. v. scabra (Dinarides, Hellenides and Balkanides vs. the Rhodope mountains). Spatiotemporal patterns of diversification suggest a role for a Late Miocene marine incursion in the Pannonian Plain (Paratethys) as the initial trigger of divergence, followed by a vicariance event in the Apennines and a “sky island” process of Pleistocene differentiation in the Balkan Peninsula. As it reached the Dinarides during the Late Pleistocene, B. v. variegata potentially hybridized with B. v. scabra and captured its mitochondrial DNA, which resulted in a massive cyto-nuclear discordance across all northwestern European populations. Finally, we show that the two lineages of B. v. scabra significantly differ in morphology and ventral coloration patterns, and describe the Rhodope lineage as a new subspecies.

P0299 Luminal phenotype of Crohn’s disease: the effectiveness of ultrasound compression elastography in the early diagnosis of disease recurrence.

Abstract Background In recent decades, the problem of early diagnosis of Crohn’s disease remains relevant. A traditional diagnostic method is ileocolonoscopy, which has a number of contraindications and complications due to its invasiveness. Ultrasound examination of the intestine is actively used for non-invasive diagnosis of tumor processes, as well as stenosis of the colon. Research data on the diagnostic value of various ultrasound signs of compression elastography in the luminal form of Crohn’s disease are contradictory. In this work, we assessed the parameters of compression elastography (CE) in patients with a luminal Crohn’s disease with endoscopic and clinical and laboratory markers of active of inflammation. Methods The study included 24 patients with endoscopically verified Crohn’s disease of the colon (mean age 38.7 years (95% CI 35.4–52.1)) - group 1 and 18 without endoscopic verification, but with clinical and laboratory markers of active inflammation (mean age 42.4 years (95% CI 38.7–55.4)) - group 2. All patients underwent ultrasound with CE (scanner Phillips IU 22 convex (9-4 MHz) and linear (5-12 MHz) sensors. Signs were examined: thickening of the colon wall (3 mm or more), color Doppler mapping indicators (type 0, type 1 and - 2), CE indicators (type 1B (green mapping - soft-elastic type), type 2BA (soft-elastic type with mosaic color pattern), type 1A (predominantly blue-hard type). Results When conducting ROC analysis, it was found that there was a significant increase in blood flow in the mesentery and intestinal wall, predominantly type 1A (predominantly blue-hard type) (color Doppler mapping), a sign of a “rigid wall” of the colon CE and its thickening of more than 3 mm (diagnostic efficiency 87.9%, 98.3%, 96.5%, P<.0001) are reliable markers of the luminal form of Crohn’s disease (Fig. 1). Conclusion Luminal phenotype of Crohn’s disease: the effectiveness of ultrasound compression elastography in early diagnosis of relapse of the disease.

A review and redefinition of the subgenus Aphyobranchius Wildekamp, 1977, in the seasonal killifish genus Nothobranchius Peters, 1868 (Teleostei: Nothobranchiidae), from ephemeral wetlands of eastern Tanzania

Species belonging to the subgenus Aphyobranchius, of the seasonal killifish genus Nothobranchius, are reviewed and the definition of the subgenus is updated. Five species are recognized within this subgenus which, based primarily on morphological and molecular data, form two distinct groups: N. geminus, N. janpapi and N. luekei make up the N. janpapi species group, whereas N. fuscotaeniatus and N. lourensi comprise the N. lourensi species group. All known Aphyobranchius species occur in the central eastern and southern coastal plains region of Tanzania, associated mainly with the Ruvu, Rufiji, Kilombero, Mbezi and Luhule/Luhute river systems, with isolated occurrences in the lowermost reaches of the Wami and Matandu rivers. Features that allow distinction between the five Aphyobranchius species, as well as those that in a broader sense distinguish them from other Nothobranchius species, are documented in detail. Such features primarily comprise differences in elements of colour pattern, morphometric character, phylogenetic relationships, karyotype structure, habitat characteristics and niche preference, breeding behaviour and, to some extent, distribution. We further discuss the taxonomic, biogeographic, ecological and evolutionary aspects of the subgenus. Conservation status of the species range from Least Concern to Critically Endangered, according to IUCN Red List criteria. The main threats to their survival are habitat loss due to expansion of agriculture and urbanisation involving overexploitation of wetlands, and invasive species. Nothobranchius willerti, previously regarded as a member of Aphyobranchius, is here excluded from that subgenus, based on a reassessment of key morphological characters, habitat preference, breeding behaviour and, most importantly, molecular data that indicates a clear affiliation with other species of the subgenus Adiniops.

Spatial and Temporal Regulation of Flower Coloration in Cymbidium lowianum.

Flower color is a crucial trait that attracts pollinators and determines the ornamental value of floral crops. Cymbidium lowianum, one of the most important breeding parent of Cymbidium hybrids, has two flower morphs (normal and albino) that differ in flower lip color. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying flower color formation in C. lowianum are not well understood. In this study, comparative metabolomic analysis between normal and albino flower lip tissues indicated that cyanidin-3-O-glucoside content was significantly higher in red epichiles than in other lip tissues. This finding suggests that cyanidin-3-O-glucoside is responsible for color variation and differentiation in the lip in C. lowianum. We also found that red coloration in C. lowianum flower is correlated with high levels of F3'H expression; further, anthocyanins, carotenoids and chlorophyll coordinate to influence sepal and petal coloration during flower development. In transgenic Arabidopsis lines, overexpression of F3'H increased anthocyanin concentration, overexpression of BCH increased carotenoid concentration, whereas overexpression of HEMG and CHLI both increased chlorophyll concentration. Identification and assessment of several transcription factors revealed that MYB308-1 activates BCH, MYB111 and PIF4-2 activate HEMG and CHLI expression during flower development. Importantly, MYB14-1 shows interaction with PIF4-2, and appears to act as a connector between anthocyanin and chlorophyll biosynthesis by either activating F3'H expression or inhibiting CHLI expression. These results indicate that, in C. lowianum, variation in flower color and differentiation of lip color patterns are primarily regulated by the types and concentrations of flavonoids; further, carotenoids and chlorophyll also influence flower coloration during development.

COCONUT PREDICTIVE ANALYSIS USING MACHINE LEARNING

“Coconut Predictive Analysis” focuses on leveraging advanced machine learning techniques to predict the suitability of coconuts for oil production. The project employs transfer learning with the Inception V3 model, a state-of-the-art convolutional neural network (CNN), to analyze complex patterns in coconut-related data, such as images of coconuts. Traditional methods for determining coconut suitability for oil production rely on manual inspection, which can be time-intensive, subjective, and inconsistent. By utilizing transfer learning, this project capitalizes on pre-trained Inception V3 models, which extract meaningful features from large-scale datasets like ImageNet, and fine-tunes them for the specific task of classifying dry coconuts based on their suitability for oil extraction. The fine-tuning process involves freezing initial layers to retain general features while optimizing later layers to improve prediction accuracy for coconut-specific characteristics such as texture, colour, and surface patterns. To ensure accessibility and usability, a Flask web application is developed. This application enables users to upload images of coconuts and receive real-time predictions on their suitability for oil production. The backend integrates the trained model to process inputs, extract features, and generate predictions, making it a scalable and practical solution for agricultural and industrial applications. This project demonstrates the potential of transfer learning in enhancing agricultural and processing efficiency by reducing training time and computational costs while providing accurate and actionable predictions. By combining cutting-edge deep learning with a user-friendly web interface, it bridges the gap between advanced AI models and practical applications, supporting decision-making for farmers, coconut processing units, and industry stakeholders. Key Words: Inception V3, fine-tuning, CNN, Flask, coconut analysis, oil production suitability

Natural and sexual selection and functional roles influence colouration but not the amount of variation in butterfly wing colour patterns

BackgroundTrait variation is shaped by functional roles of traits and the strength and direction of selection acting on the traits. We hypothesized that in butterflies, sexually selected colouration is more variable owing to condition-dependent nature and directional selection on sexual ornaments, whereas naturally selected colouration may be less variable because of stabilising selection. We measured reflectance spectra, and extracted colour parameters, to compare the amount of variation in sexually versus naturally selected colour patches across wing surfaces and sexes of 20 butterfly species across 4 families (Nymphalidae, Papilionidae, Pieridae, Lycaenidae).ResultsWe found that: (a) males had more conspicuous, i.e., brighter and more saturated colour patches compared with females (as expected of sexually selected traits but not necessarily of naturally selected traits), and (b) dorsal surfaces in both sexes had more conspicuous sexual ornaments as well as protective (aposematic/mimetic) colour patches on darker wing backgrounds, compared with ventral surfaces. However, colour patches did not differ in the amount of variation either in selection (ecological/sexual functions), sex or wing surface-specific manner.ConclusionsThese findings show that functional roles and selection influence colour parameters but not the amount of variation in butterfly wing colour patterns.

A new species of lowland karst-dwelling Slender Gecko Hemiphyllodactylus Bleeker, 1860 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from a karstic archipelago in western Cambodia

A new species of gekkonid lizard is described from Phnom Khpoh, an isolated karstic hill within an extensive karstic archipelago in Battambang Province, western Cambodia. Phylogenetic analysis using a 1041 base pair fragment of the mitochondrial gene ND2 recovered Hemiphyllodactylus khpoh sp. nov. as the sister species of H. pardalis, found 335 km to the west in southern Thailand. Analyses of meristic, morphometric, and categorical characters of morphology and color pattern differentiated H. khpoh sp. nov. from both the morphologically distinct H. pardalis and the very similar Hemiphyllodactylus sp. from Phnom Kulen, approximately 130 km to the northeast in Siem Reap Province. The statistical morphological analyses and comparisons also showed that H. khpoh sp. nov. is well-differentiated from the recently described H. bokor and H. samkos from the nearby Cardamom Mountains as well from species in clade 6—a recently designated lineage from China, Laos, and Vietnam to which H. khpoh sp. nov. + H. pardalis compose the sister lineage. The discovery of H. khpoh sp. nov. highlights the rich but understudied biodiversity of karstic landscapes, emphasizing the need for continued research in the extensive unexplored karstic archipelago of western Cambodia. This region is poised to reveal unparalleled gekkonid diversity, comparable to that observed in the similarly sized karstic archipelago of the Salween Basin in southern Myanmar. Although karstic landscapes are proving to be some of the most biodiverse habitats on the planet, less than 1% of them are afforded any formal protection.