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The natural world is
full of colours...
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..colours that attract attention...
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00:00:34,960 --> 00:00:37,920
..colours that blend beautifully
with their background...
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..and colours that create
extraordinary displays.
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00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:54,640
There are few animals more
brilliantly coloured than
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these scarlet macaws.
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00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:01,440
Animals can use colour for all
kinds of different reasons,
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00:01:01,440 --> 00:01:05,240
and some have colours that
we ourselves can't even see.
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00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:12,400
But with new cameras, some developed
especially for this series,
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00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:16,640
we can reveal a world that has
long been hidden from our eyes...
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..a world of colours that
only some animals can see.
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00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:29,400
Secret communication channels
for the most private of messages,
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and colours so bold and brilliant
they dazzle our senses.
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Whether to win a mate...
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..or beat a rival...
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..to warn off an enemy...
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..or to hide from one...
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..we will reveal extraordinary
stories about life in colour.
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The rocky hills of Southern India.
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The stage is set for
a performance of one
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of the most spectacular
dances in the natural world.
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PEACOCKS CALL
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Peacocks are gathering.
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This, surely, is one of the most
glamorous of all sights in nature.
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150 shimmering eyespots,
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carried on tail feathers
that are six feet long.
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00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:36,760
So how did such glories evolve?
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It seems it's all
down to the female.
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HE CALLS
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The brighter a male's colours
and the greater the number of
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his feathery eyespots, the more
attractive she will find him.
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But colours and plumes
like these come at a cost.
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The immense tail makes
flying difficult -
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the males are literally
weighed down by their feathers.
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00:04:35,880 --> 00:04:39,440
Yet the colours they carry
are clearly very important to them.
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00:04:42,080 --> 00:04:45,640
So why and how has colour
taken on such value?
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To understand that, we have to
think back to when it all began.
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00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:07,200
700 million years ago,
our planet was far less colourful.
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00:05:09,080 --> 00:05:11,240
But the first animals, it seems,
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had eyes that were unable to
distinguish colours anyway.
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Gradually, however, this changed.
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I am in Costa Rica...
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..a good place to see how
valuable colour can be.
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This toucan likes fruit,
and its ability to choose ripe
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fruit from unripe depends on colour
because the ripe ones are black.
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And this capacity of choosing
between different colours was
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a very important stage in the
evolution of colour vision.
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00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:11,120
Birds, close relatives of dinosaurs,
appeared before mammals.
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00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:20,240
The first mammals, as far as we
can tell, were mostly nocturnal.
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00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:24,440
Colours are not easily
distinguishable at night,
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so why evolve the ability
to detect them?
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00:06:30,480 --> 00:06:35,240
So it seems that the first mammals
themselves were not very colourful.
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00:06:36,640 --> 00:06:39,160
And this is still
largely true today.
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Most are shades of
black and white...
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..or brown.
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00:06:52,440 --> 00:06:54,040
But there are exceptions.
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00:06:55,280 --> 00:06:59,080
And one of the most dramatic
lives in the forests of Gabon
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in West Africa.
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These monkeys are mandrills -
a kind of baboon.
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They live in large troops.
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Most are females and youngsters,
both of which are brown.
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But the males are different.
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They, when they're young, have very
plain faces with naked muzzles.
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As they grow,
their faces begin to change.
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Testosterone begins to flow
through their veins.
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When they're about six years old,
they leave the troop
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and start to fend for themselves.
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00:08:09,280 --> 00:08:13,800
As they become sexually mature,
colour appears in their faces...
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..and what colour!
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00:08:26,640 --> 00:08:30,280
Mandrill males are the biggest
of all monkeys...
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00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:34,440
..weighing over 30 kilos -
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enormously, frighteningly powerful.
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And their colours say so.
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SCREECHING
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HISSING
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It is not only his face
which is coloured.
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So is his rump.
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00:08:56,120 --> 00:09:00,520
Both are fearless declarations
of his health and strength.
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00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:08,840
And this male is more than happy
to prove just how strong he is...
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00:09:08,840 --> 00:09:11,720
..should any male dare
to challenge him.
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Not surprisingly, mandrill eyes are
particularly sensitive to colour.
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00:09:24,720 --> 00:09:28,280
And it's the brightness of their
colours which signals their status.
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SCREECHING
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00:09:38,760 --> 00:09:41,160
There are four males in this troop,
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and they're constantly
flexing their muscles
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and displaying their colours to
establish who is the strongest.
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And not all disputes
are settled peacefully.
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00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:03,520
They emphasise their
ferocity by gestures
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such as grinding their teeth.
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00:10:13,120 --> 00:10:16,880
If that doesn't work, the
highest-ranking male will fight...
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..and the others know it.
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00:10:25,440 --> 00:10:28,200
It's better to let
colour do the talking.
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HE COUGHS
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00:10:36,520 --> 00:10:39,720
Mandrills see the world
much as we do
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and have three kinds of
colour-sensitive cells.
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00:10:46,040 --> 00:10:49,880
But another group of animals
has colour vision that's far
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superior to that of
any mammal - birds.
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00:11:00,600 --> 00:11:04,200
Their ability varies
from group to group,
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00:11:04,200 --> 00:11:06,960
but you can judge how good
they are from the colours
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00:11:06,960 --> 00:11:09,080
they use to signal to one another.
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00:11:11,280 --> 00:11:14,480
Hummingbirds have
excellent colour vision...
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..because that enables them
to spot brightly-coloured flowers
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00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:23,640
which contains the nectar
on which they feed.
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00:11:32,520 --> 00:11:36,600
So this artificial feeder
is a big success -
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00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:38,880
brightly coloured down here,
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00:11:38,880 --> 00:11:42,480
and containing sugar solution,
artificial nectar, up there.
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00:11:48,600 --> 00:11:51,720
But hummingbirds also
use their ability to see
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00:11:51,720 --> 00:11:55,720
colour in a different way -
to attract a mate.
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00:11:58,240 --> 00:12:00,960
Most species
live in South America, where
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there are flowers of some
sort all year round.
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00:12:07,920 --> 00:12:10,400
A few, however,
have spread northwards
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into the deserts of
the American Southwest.
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In this vastness,
it's hard to get noticed...
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00:12:23,880 --> 00:12:28,000
..especially if you are a small
hummingbird looking for a mate.
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00:12:40,720 --> 00:12:46,040
But this male Costa's hummingbird
uses his colours to send
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a secret message.
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00:12:50,520 --> 00:12:55,200
Out in the open, flashy colours
can attract unwanted attention,
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00:12:55,200 --> 00:12:57,960
so he keeps them
hidden most of the time.
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00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:02,000
A slight turn of the head, however,
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00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:05,680
provides a tantalising
glimpse of what he has to offer.
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00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:13,000
He's spotted a female.
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00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:14,040
She's feeding.
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00:13:20,760 --> 00:13:25,240
Hummingbirds live fast lives
and need plenty of fuel.
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00:13:25,240 --> 00:13:27,720
So, if he is to attract
her attention,
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he needs something eye-catching.
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00:13:35,920 --> 00:13:38,800
Time to reveal his colours!
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00:13:42,200 --> 00:13:45,360
Erecting the iridescent
feathers on his neck,
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00:13:45,360 --> 00:13:48,280
he positions himself
to catch the sunlight.
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00:13:55,680 --> 00:13:59,400
Seen at just the right angle,
his colours are dazzling.
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00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:22,000
Aerobatics like these
take a lot of energy,
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00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:26,200
so his performance can give her
clues about his health and fitness.
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00:14:31,280 --> 00:14:36,480
Every second she takes to decide
burns up his energy reserves...
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..so he can only hover for so long.
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At last, his colours
have persuaded her.
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00:15:16,080 --> 00:15:19,320
Displaying your colours
is easy out in the open.
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00:15:23,960 --> 00:15:26,680
Birds which live in dark forests,
however,
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have to work harder to get noticed.
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00:15:34,920 --> 00:15:37,880
The rainforests of New Guinea.
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00:15:37,880 --> 00:15:40,600
Here, the trees stand 100 feet tall,
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00:15:40,600 --> 00:15:44,080
with their crowns forming
a near continuous canopy.
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00:15:46,920 --> 00:15:50,040
But here and there, there's
a small gap through which
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a shaft of light illuminates
a patch on the forest floor...
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..a stage for one of
the most versatile
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00:15:59,160 --> 00:16:01,200
dancers in the natural world...
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..a bird of paradise.
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00:16:08,520 --> 00:16:10,680
There are over 30 different species.
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00:16:10,680 --> 00:16:12,520
This one, understandably,
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is called the magnificent
bird of paradise.
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A male.
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00:16:22,080 --> 00:16:25,640
Before starting his show,
he clears his stage.
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00:16:27,760 --> 00:16:31,480
The bare brown earth will make
his colours stand out better.
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He takes particular care
to remove anything green.
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That colour will be the main
feature of his display,
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and he doesn't want any competition.
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00:17:00,520 --> 00:17:02,040
Satisfied at last.
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00:17:03,680 --> 00:17:07,760
A sapling in the centre will
serve as his dancing pole.
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His costume must be immaculate.
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Plumes like these need
careful attention.
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00:17:32,520 --> 00:17:34,560
Time to summon the audience.
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HE CHIRPS
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00:17:48,240 --> 00:17:50,440
HE CHIRPS
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The first to appear
are all young males.
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They won't develop their colours
until they're seven years old.
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They have come to watch
and to learn.
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00:18:09,520 --> 00:18:12,600
HE CHIRPS
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00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:15,520
At last, a female.
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She looks much like a
young male to our eyes...
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00:18:21,360 --> 00:18:23,600
..but he can clearly
tell the difference.
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00:18:28,520 --> 00:18:30,760
She will judge him
by his performance
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00:18:30,760 --> 00:18:33,040
and the brightness of his feathers.
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00:18:35,520 --> 00:18:38,360
She does that from
directly above him.
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He puffs up his feathers and swings
round to show her his colours.
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00:19:03,440 --> 00:19:07,560
For years, naturalists only watched
his performance from ground level.
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00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:16,520
But the female does so from above.
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00:19:21,840 --> 00:19:25,440
And from there, his brilliant
green colours stand out
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vividly against the
brown of the ground.
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A pair of bare, quivering quills
sprouting from his tail
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add to the excitement.
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00:19:43,280 --> 00:19:47,680
This is one of the most complex
of all courtship dances, and we're
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still unaware of the details
that she may regard as critical.
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The prize-giving, however,
is unmistakable.
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00:20:19,480 --> 00:20:22,040
The colour vision of birds
is mostly excellent.
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00:20:24,480 --> 00:20:27,320
But that of many insects
is almost as good.
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Butterflies.
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00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:46,960
They too have evolved an astonishing
variety of colours and patterns.
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00:20:59,800 --> 00:21:04,720
The wings are covered by tiny
scales like tiles on a roof,
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00:21:04,720 --> 00:21:07,360
and it's they that produce
some of the colours.
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00:21:11,960 --> 00:21:13,400
Some have pigments.
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00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:20,240
Others reflect light to produce
a shimmering iridescence with
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00:21:20,240 --> 00:21:24,080
colours that change according to the
angle from which they are viewed.
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00:21:37,000 --> 00:21:42,000
But some butterflies use colours
that are invisible to our eyes.
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00:21:51,040 --> 00:21:55,760
The glorious colours of an
English meadow in bloom is
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00:21:55,760 --> 00:21:58,000
a delight to the eyes of many of us.
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00:21:59,200 --> 00:22:03,000
But their purpose is
not to appeal to us -
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00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:07,640
it's to attract insects,
such as butterflies and bees.
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00:22:09,840 --> 00:22:15,560
Most of these plants
depend on insects to pollinate them,
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00:22:15,560 --> 00:22:19,200
and they use their bright colours
in order to attract insects.
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00:22:20,240 --> 00:22:24,080
But to understand
what an insect sees,
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00:22:24,080 --> 00:22:27,600
we have to be able to see it
through their eyes and from
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00:22:27,600 --> 00:22:32,240
their perspective, and happily
we've got a camera that enables us
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00:22:32,240 --> 00:22:33,400
to do just that.
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00:22:38,040 --> 00:22:40,160
This camera set-up lets us look at
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00:22:40,160 --> 00:22:42,360
that flower in two different ways.
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This camera is an ultraviolet camera
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00:22:46,400 --> 00:22:48,960
because it has a filter there that
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00:22:48,960 --> 00:22:51,960
only lets through ultraviolet light.
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00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:54,320
But at the same time, this filter
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00:22:54,320 --> 00:22:56,480
also reflects normal light,
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00:22:56,480 --> 00:23:00,680
and that comes into this camera,
and that shows what we can see.
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00:23:00,680 --> 00:23:05,400
So I can compare the two very
easily. That's what we can see...
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00:23:09,320 --> 00:23:11,080
..and that's what the insect sees.
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00:23:14,080 --> 00:23:17,080
Flowers have evolved these
ultraviolet markings
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00:23:17,080 --> 00:23:20,680
for the benefit of insects,
such as butterflies.
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00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:35,120
This particular one lives in the
rainforests of eastern Australia.
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00:23:35,120 --> 00:23:38,280
It's a blue moon butterfly - a male.
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00:23:43,880 --> 00:23:48,280
You might not think that it's the
most colourful you've ever seen
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00:23:48,280 --> 00:23:53,360
but, with our ultraviolet camera,
his wings take on a magical look.
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00:23:59,480 --> 00:24:01,160
The brighter his patches,
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00:24:01,160 --> 00:24:03,320
the more attractive
he is to females.
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00:24:08,680 --> 00:24:11,400
But ultraviolet markings
like these can also
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00:24:11,400 --> 00:24:14,200
be seen by the blue moon's
main predators.
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00:24:17,320 --> 00:24:20,080
Birds can see them just as clearly.
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00:24:24,120 --> 00:24:28,200
So flying around with a bright
signal like that on your wings
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00:24:28,200 --> 00:24:29,240
could be dangerous.
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00:24:35,720 --> 00:24:39,920
For a male, however,
it's worth living dangerously.
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00:24:39,920 --> 00:24:43,840
If he can mate with one or two
females in his short lifetime,
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00:24:43,840 --> 00:24:45,880
his colours will
have been a success.
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00:24:54,080 --> 00:24:55,800
But he has competition.
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00:24:57,680 --> 00:25:01,720
He will have to defend his territory
if he is to secure a mate.
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00:25:05,200 --> 00:25:09,120
Butterfly wings are fragile,
so physical combat is to be avoided.
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00:25:12,320 --> 00:25:16,440
Disputes instead are settled
with aerial displays.
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00:25:26,520 --> 00:25:29,280
A female has been
watching from the sidelines.
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00:25:34,080 --> 00:25:36,160
Time to show her his colours.
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00:25:55,160 --> 00:25:58,280
In her eyes, he's simply dazzling.
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00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:19,000
Ultraviolet colours are part of the
spectrum that insects can see...
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00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:20,320
..and we cannot.
237
00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:26,640
Recent discoveries have revealed
that some animals can also
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00:26:26,640 --> 00:26:30,280
see a characteristic
of light that we cannot detect.
239
00:26:32,560 --> 00:26:37,440
Sunlight contains rays that vibrate
in many different planes.
240
00:26:38,760 --> 00:26:42,440
In polarised light,
they vibrate in only one.
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00:26:44,280 --> 00:26:46,800
Light may become polarised
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00:26:46,800 --> 00:26:49,840
when reflected off a shiny
surface, such as water.
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00:26:51,520 --> 00:26:56,080
Unlike us, some animals
can see polarised light,
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00:26:56,080 --> 00:26:58,960
and they can exploit
it in many ways.
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00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:05,920
One creature that does so
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00:27:05,920 --> 00:27:10,120
lives on these vast mudflats
in northern Australia.
247
00:27:15,520 --> 00:27:20,120
These eyes - on stalks -
belong to a male fiddler crab.
248
00:27:23,080 --> 00:27:25,920
And they can see in a way
that we cannot.
249
00:27:34,160 --> 00:27:38,080
As the tide goes out,
the crabs emerge from their burrows.
250
00:27:46,400 --> 00:27:50,600
His giant claw is too large
to be used in feeding.
251
00:27:53,600 --> 00:27:57,720
Instead, he uses it to attract
the attention of females...
252
00:27:57,720 --> 00:27:59,880
..by waving it with vigour!
253
00:28:02,960 --> 00:28:06,720
The crabs can see objects that are
close to them reasonably well...
254
00:28:09,680 --> 00:28:13,320
..but their long-distance
eyesight is not so good.
255
00:28:18,240 --> 00:28:21,640
Polarised light can help
solve the problem.
256
00:28:26,240 --> 00:28:29,680
Viewed with a new specialist
camera, the mudflats,
257
00:28:29,680 --> 00:28:32,960
which reflect polarised
light, are bright...
258
00:28:35,920 --> 00:28:40,680
..while the unpolarised crabs appear
darker against their background.
259
00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:46,760
This striking contrast also makes
the large claw more obvious.
260
00:28:49,720 --> 00:28:54,040
The big claw is also used
by the male to defend his burrow.
261
00:28:58,920 --> 00:29:01,160
Not everyone heeds the warning.
262
00:29:15,880 --> 00:29:16,920
Battle over.
263
00:29:20,080 --> 00:29:23,360
But there are more dangerous
enemies to face -
264
00:29:23,360 --> 00:29:24,680
aerial predators.
265
00:29:26,200 --> 00:29:29,480
The quicker they can spot them,
the better
266
00:29:29,480 --> 00:29:33,400
and, once again,
polarised light helps them to do so.
267
00:29:47,040 --> 00:29:51,280
With the coast clear,
a male re-emerges from his burrow.
268
00:29:55,160 --> 00:29:57,000
At last, a female.
269
00:30:03,920 --> 00:30:08,000
With the tide on the turn,
he must work fast to win her over.
270
00:30:15,040 --> 00:30:17,880
And close up,
his colours come into play.
271
00:30:19,360 --> 00:30:23,480
The brightness of his blue back
could be the deciding factor.
272
00:30:32,800 --> 00:30:34,680
She may not look willing,
273
00:30:34,680 --> 00:30:38,600
but the pushing and shoving are
all part of the mating ritual.
274
00:30:43,520 --> 00:30:46,400
One last shove and she's in...
275
00:30:49,600 --> 00:30:50,800
..just in time.
276
00:31:05,160 --> 00:31:09,400
On land, colour is used
in a multitude of different ways.
277
00:31:10,520 --> 00:31:13,680
The same is true in the sea,
but there,
278
00:31:13,680 --> 00:31:16,360
colour works in a very
different way.
279
00:31:26,640 --> 00:31:29,720
This is Australia's
Great Barrier Reef,
280
00:31:29,720 --> 00:31:33,360
and its shallow waters
are full of vivid colour.
281
00:31:39,560 --> 00:31:43,280
The inhabitants of the reef
exploit it to the full,
282
00:31:43,280 --> 00:31:46,040
with unparalleled
and dazzling effect.
283
00:32:02,760 --> 00:32:06,600
The orange-red stripes
of the harlequin tuskfish
284
00:32:06,600 --> 00:32:08,120
make it very conspicuous.
285
00:32:12,200 --> 00:32:14,560
But as light filters
down through the water,
286
00:32:14,560 --> 00:32:17,640
more and more of its wavelengths
are absorbed...
287
00:32:19,160 --> 00:32:21,600
..and red is the first to disappear.
288
00:32:23,960 --> 00:32:27,120
So, as the harlequin
swims downwards,
289
00:32:27,120 --> 00:32:31,000
his brilliantly coloured red body
looks duller and duller.
290
00:32:42,440 --> 00:32:47,400
Different colours are absorbed
at different rates in the sea,
291
00:32:47,400 --> 00:32:50,240
but some can still be
seen at greater depths.
292
00:32:54,080 --> 00:32:56,480
Yellow and blue travel farthest,
293
00:32:56,480 --> 00:33:01,120
so it's these that many fish down
here use to signal their identity.
294
00:33:07,360 --> 00:33:10,800
Most fish near the surface
have good colour vision,
295
00:33:10,800 --> 00:33:15,320
but some of the smaller species
can also see ultraviolet colours.
296
00:33:19,240 --> 00:33:23,000
To us, these yellow damselfish
all look very similar.
297
00:33:27,960 --> 00:33:32,920
But using our ultraviolet camera
here in controlled conditions,
298
00:33:32,920 --> 00:33:36,240
we can see that many fish
have different patterns
299
00:33:36,240 --> 00:33:39,120
that are normally
invisible to our eyes.
300
00:33:42,400 --> 00:33:44,640
And suddenly, it becomes clear that
301
00:33:44,640 --> 00:33:48,680
these two individuals are
in fact different species.
302
00:33:52,680 --> 00:33:56,200
This lemon damselfish
has distinctive spots
303
00:33:56,200 --> 00:33:57,440
on its gill covers.
304
00:34:00,080 --> 00:34:03,360
And this, an Ambon damsel,
305
00:34:03,360 --> 00:34:08,360
has bright reflecting ultraviolet
patches all across the body.
306
00:34:11,040 --> 00:34:13,400
It's a code invisible to us
307
00:34:13,400 --> 00:34:16,120
that allows these fish to
recognise each other...
308
00:34:18,680 --> 00:34:21,840
..without attracting the attention
of large predators,
309
00:34:21,840 --> 00:34:24,720
which can't see in the
ultraviolet range.
310
00:34:32,760 --> 00:34:35,480
And it's on the seabed
that you can find
311
00:34:35,480 --> 00:34:38,160
one of the most colourful
sea creatures of all...
312
00:34:44,680 --> 00:34:47,240
..the peacock mantis shrimp.
313
00:34:53,400 --> 00:34:56,160
This strange-looking
creature's ancestry
314
00:34:56,160 --> 00:34:59,160
can be traced back
400 million years...
315
00:35:01,480 --> 00:35:05,160
..and it has one of the most
versatile kinds of eyes in the whole
316
00:35:05,160 --> 00:35:06,720
of the animal kingdom.
317
00:35:11,920 --> 00:35:17,000
It can rotate its two huge eyes
independently of each other
318
00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:18,600
and in almost any direction.
319
00:35:21,280 --> 00:35:25,320
We have three kinds of colour
receptors, but the mantis shrimp
320
00:35:25,320 --> 00:35:29,200
has 12, each with
a direct link to the brain,
321
00:35:29,200 --> 00:35:33,000
so it can perceive colour faster
than any other animal.
322
00:35:35,120 --> 00:35:38,880
And it can also detect
the difference between polarised
323
00:35:38,880 --> 00:35:40,200
and unpolarised light.
324
00:35:44,520 --> 00:35:47,720
But unlike fiddler crabs,
part of its body,
325
00:35:47,720 --> 00:35:51,960
like these paddle-shaped scales,
reflect polarised light...
326
00:35:53,200 --> 00:35:56,440
..and may be used to signal
to potential mates.
327
00:36:03,400 --> 00:36:07,840
The tail is also highly polarised
and used to plug its burrow
328
00:36:07,840 --> 00:36:11,320
and send a message to
warn off potential rivals.
329
00:36:17,440 --> 00:36:20,720
And by combining
all its visual abilities,
330
00:36:20,720 --> 00:36:25,400
the mantis shrimp has become one of
the most skilful of all predators.
331
00:36:37,720 --> 00:36:42,200
It also packs a powerful punch
from club-like mouth parts...
332
00:36:46,040 --> 00:36:48,480
..which it uses with great accuracy.
333
00:36:51,240 --> 00:36:55,520
These clubs deliver the fastest
punch in the animal kingdom,
334
00:36:55,520 --> 00:36:59,680
which we recorded slowed down
and under controlled conditions.
335
00:37:12,800 --> 00:37:18,280
Whether underwater or on land,
colour can be extremely useful.
336
00:37:23,160 --> 00:37:26,560
And the colours an animal
develops can sometimes be
337
00:37:26,560 --> 00:37:30,360
influenced by where it
lives and what it eats.
338
00:37:39,360 --> 00:37:42,400
The Atacama Desert in South America.
339
00:37:54,080 --> 00:37:58,000
There are six different
species of flamingos in the world,
340
00:37:58,000 --> 00:38:01,400
and they all prefer to
breed in those most
341
00:38:01,400 --> 00:38:05,720
hostile of environments -
salt flats and soda lakes.
342
00:38:11,280 --> 00:38:15,480
We think of flamingos as being
characteristically pink,
343
00:38:15,480 --> 00:38:19,240
but their feathers when they
first appear are in fact white.
344
00:38:23,640 --> 00:38:26,160
Their colour comes from their food.
345
00:38:29,680 --> 00:38:34,000
The salty waters in which they feed
are rich in algae and shrimps,
346
00:38:34,000 --> 00:38:38,240
both of which contain red
pigments called carotenoids.
347
00:38:41,400 --> 00:38:44,680
These, over time, accumulate
in their feathers and give them
348
00:38:44,680 --> 00:38:45,800
their bright colour.
349
00:39:03,000 --> 00:39:06,200
These youngsters were
born last year.
350
00:39:06,200 --> 00:39:09,080
They still have their first
greyish-white plumage.
351
00:39:15,800 --> 00:39:18,760
It takes time before the
pigments become visible.
352
00:39:24,840 --> 00:39:29,520
Five years will pass before they
become as pink as their parents.
353
00:39:38,440 --> 00:39:41,680
But it's not only the juveniles
which are white.
354
00:39:47,240 --> 00:39:50,800
This adult female raised
a chick last year,
355
00:39:50,800 --> 00:39:54,400
and the effort of doing so
has drained her of colour.
356
00:39:57,560 --> 00:40:01,560
She put all her surplus food
and energy into producing an egg
357
00:40:01,560 --> 00:40:03,440
and then feeding her chick.
358
00:40:05,800 --> 00:40:09,720
So she will need time to build up
the body reserves needed to
359
00:40:09,720 --> 00:40:12,480
regrow pink feathers and breed.
360
00:40:20,640 --> 00:40:24,080
For those that are old
enough and physically fit,
361
00:40:24,080 --> 00:40:25,880
it's time to find a mate.
362
00:40:29,720 --> 00:40:33,000
Only the pink birds take
part in these courtship dances.
363
00:40:37,440 --> 00:40:41,440
Their colour is an indication
that they're fit and strong.
364
00:41:00,920 --> 00:41:03,080
As they march through the water,
365
00:41:03,080 --> 00:41:06,240
each bird tries to stand
out from the crowd...
366
00:41:07,240 --> 00:41:10,960
..and the brightest will be
the first to secure a partner.
367
00:41:17,960 --> 00:41:22,480
The white female can play no
part in this year's display.
368
00:41:29,400 --> 00:41:31,880
She will need to eat
as much as she can
369
00:41:31,880 --> 00:41:34,000
if she is to restore her colour.
370
00:41:37,440 --> 00:41:41,920
Maybe next year she will be
able to rejoin the dance.
371
00:41:53,920 --> 00:41:57,840
Flamingos depend on their pink
colour to attract a partner
372
00:41:57,840 --> 00:41:58,880
and breed.
373
00:42:01,880 --> 00:42:06,040
But there is one tiny animal in
the Central American rainforests
374
00:42:06,040 --> 00:42:08,240
that uses colour not only
375
00:42:08,240 --> 00:42:10,480
to attract, but to repel.
376
00:42:20,960 --> 00:42:24,200
This little frog uses
colour as a warning.
377
00:42:25,320 --> 00:42:27,600
Its skin is full of glands
378
00:42:27,600 --> 00:42:30,440
which produce a deadly poison,
379
00:42:30,440 --> 00:42:31,560
so its colour is
380
00:42:31,560 --> 00:42:33,120
a very clear message -
381
00:42:33,120 --> 00:42:35,400
eat me and you'll regret it!
382
00:42:39,080 --> 00:42:43,640
You need a vivid message like
this if you are a small,
383
00:42:43,640 --> 00:42:49,080
soft-skinned, bite-sized mouthful
living in a dark, dense forest.
384
00:43:02,160 --> 00:43:05,120
The rainforest can be a scary place.
385
00:43:09,840 --> 00:43:12,480
There are hungry animals everywhere.
386
00:43:27,480 --> 00:43:31,040
For many,
it's best to keep a low profile.
387
00:43:35,600 --> 00:43:37,800
But this little frog doesn't.
388
00:43:39,640 --> 00:43:42,880
It's a strawberry poison-dart frog,
389
00:43:42,880 --> 00:43:45,600
and it's not much bigger
than your fingernail...
390
00:43:46,560 --> 00:43:49,640
..and yet he is one of the
deadliest creatures here.
391
00:43:52,640 --> 00:43:55,240
His bright skin secretes a toxin.
392
00:43:57,560 --> 00:44:01,640
In the mouth of a predator,
it can cause respiratory failure,
393
00:44:01,640 --> 00:44:03,800
convulsions and death.
394
00:44:07,560 --> 00:44:12,200
Predators recognise his colour
as a sign of danger and avoid him.
395
00:44:19,000 --> 00:44:23,280
Such frogs also live on a group
of islands just off Panama
396
00:44:23,280 --> 00:44:25,440
called Bocas del Toro.
397
00:44:27,760 --> 00:44:29,200
Living in isolation,
398
00:44:29,200 --> 00:44:33,320
frogs on each island evolved
their own distinctive colours.
399
00:44:36,440 --> 00:44:39,200
There is a different
one on each island.
400
00:44:42,760 --> 00:44:45,360
And yet they're all
the same species.
401
00:44:51,480 --> 00:44:55,640
They're different because the diet
on some islands makes some
402
00:44:55,640 --> 00:44:58,000
more poisonous than others.
403
00:44:58,000 --> 00:45:02,280
And the more poison a frog has,
the more brightly coloured it is.
404
00:45:11,320 --> 00:45:15,640
On Solarte Island,
a red male is busy calling.
405
00:45:15,640 --> 00:45:23,640
HE CROAKS
406
00:45:25,080 --> 00:45:29,000
This is his patch,
and he's looking for a female.
407
00:45:32,520 --> 00:45:34,000
He should be popular.
408
00:45:34,000 --> 00:45:38,320
Females prefer bright, shiny skin,
which is a sign of fitness.
409
00:45:43,120 --> 00:45:47,400
His colour is also an indication
to other males of his strength.
410
00:45:56,720 --> 00:45:58,200
He spots an intruder.
411
00:45:59,240 --> 00:46:02,840
He's about the same size,
but he's a paler colour.
412
00:46:12,640 --> 00:46:15,640
And he doesn't challenge
the brighter frog.
413
00:46:22,160 --> 00:46:24,640
But this one is a different matter.
414
00:46:27,680 --> 00:46:29,240
He is a contender.
415
00:46:40,640 --> 00:46:43,400
Nothing for it but to fight it out.
416
00:47:25,360 --> 00:47:28,840
That did it -
he won't be back for a while.
417
00:47:37,160 --> 00:47:39,080
And the reward...
418
00:47:39,080 --> 00:47:40,120
..a new mate.
419
00:47:46,760 --> 00:47:51,400
For these tiny frogs, colour is
central to all aspects of their
420
00:47:51,400 --> 00:47:57,320
lives - for protection, to dominate
rivals and to find a partner.
421
00:47:58,840 --> 00:48:01,880
For them, life is colour.
422
00:48:12,000 --> 00:48:15,360
When I started
working in television in the 1950s,
423
00:48:15,360 --> 00:48:19,440
all broadcasts were in black
and white, and conveying animal
424
00:48:19,440 --> 00:48:24,080
colour took a leap of the
imagination on the viewer's part.
425
00:48:24,080 --> 00:48:27,320
Well, those are only some of the
birds of paradise we brought back,
426
00:48:27,320 --> 00:48:29,800
and there's one more
I'd like to show you -
427
00:48:29,800 --> 00:48:32,320
the king bird of paradise.
428
00:48:32,320 --> 00:48:35,760
Its feathers are brilliant red,
except for its white underparts.
429
00:48:38,400 --> 00:48:42,280
When colour TV arrived almost
20 years later, we were suddenly
430
00:48:42,280 --> 00:48:46,040
able to show some of the wonderful
colours of the natural world.
431
00:48:52,440 --> 00:48:56,480
Since then, electronic cameras
have made extraordinary technical
432
00:48:56,480 --> 00:49:01,440
advances into high definition
and even ultra-high definition.
433
00:49:03,080 --> 00:49:06,600
But we've always known that
there's another world of colour -
434
00:49:06,600 --> 00:49:09,520
one that only some animals can see.
435
00:49:13,960 --> 00:49:17,720
In these programmes, new camera
technology has provided
436
00:49:17,720 --> 00:49:21,200
a window into these hitherto
invisible worlds...
437
00:49:24,920 --> 00:49:28,480
..and one of these is that
revealed by polarised light.
438
00:49:31,160 --> 00:49:34,720
It plays a crucial role
in the lives of many animals,
439
00:49:34,720 --> 00:49:38,840
including these small fiddler
crabs in Darwin, Australia.
440
00:49:44,160 --> 00:49:47,960
We worked with a team
of scientists to develop a unique
441
00:49:47,960 --> 00:49:52,720
and pioneering camera system
to reveal this hidden world.
442
00:49:52,720 --> 00:49:54,120
100% here.
443
00:49:55,360 --> 00:49:58,720
The camera detects
areas of polarisation,
444
00:49:58,720 --> 00:50:02,400
such as the light that passes
through polarising sunglasses.
445
00:50:02,400 --> 00:50:04,880
Put it to 100% here.
446
00:50:04,880 --> 00:50:08,600
It then combines vertical
and horizontal polarisation
447
00:50:08,600 --> 00:50:12,880
to show the contrast between
polarised and unpolarised light.
448
00:50:14,960 --> 00:50:19,280
With this new camera, the team
hope to find out how fiddler crabs
449
00:50:19,280 --> 00:50:22,280
use polarised light to signal
to each other.
450
00:50:24,520 --> 00:50:27,760
But this camera had been
developed in sterile, controlled
451
00:50:27,760 --> 00:50:31,800
conditions, and these fiddler crabs
live in one of the least sterile
452
00:50:31,800 --> 00:50:35,840
environments on Earth -
Australia's tropical mudflats.
453
00:50:38,560 --> 00:50:42,360
Quite a challenge for the cameraman,
Mark Lamble.
454
00:50:42,360 --> 00:50:46,520
That mudflat - it's just a really
extreme environment to work.
455
00:50:46,520 --> 00:50:51,800
Blazing sun overhead, really high
humidity and almost no airflow.
456
00:50:55,280 --> 00:50:56,800
The camera needed to be
457
00:50:56,800 --> 00:51:01,000
half-buried in mud to get
a fiddler crab's eye view.
458
00:51:02,640 --> 00:51:05,720
Whether the camera would work here,
no-one could be sure.
459
00:51:07,240 --> 00:51:08,920
I'm slightly worried.
460
00:51:08,920 --> 00:51:11,720
Hopefully, we are not going to miss
that special moment
461
00:51:11,720 --> 00:51:15,320
as the camera is not going to work,
but I think we'll be OK.
462
00:51:15,320 --> 00:51:16,920
Good luck. Thank you.
463
00:51:19,960 --> 00:51:23,480
Once in position, Mark settled
down for an uncomfortable wait.
464
00:51:27,440 --> 00:51:30,840
If the crabs detect
the slightest movement,
465
00:51:30,840 --> 00:51:33,080
they disappear into their burrows...
466
00:51:35,560 --> 00:51:36,600
..again...
467
00:51:38,360 --> 00:51:39,400
..and again.
468
00:51:42,040 --> 00:51:45,640
I have to be really still
or they will not come out at all.
469
00:51:46,680 --> 00:51:48,640
I'd love to be able to have
an umbrella over me,
470
00:51:48,640 --> 00:51:50,640
so anything higher than me
471
00:51:50,640 --> 00:51:55,720
is just not tolerated by the fiddler
crabs, they just won't come up.
472
00:51:55,720 --> 00:52:00,360
But amazingly, the camera survived
the heat, the humidity
473
00:52:00,360 --> 00:52:04,720
and the caustic brine, and
eventually Mark was able to capture,
474
00:52:04,720 --> 00:52:09,080
for the first time, a fiddler crab's
world in polarised light.
475
00:52:12,480 --> 00:52:16,680
Light reflected from the crabs'
bodies is unpolarised,
476
00:52:16,680 --> 00:52:17,720
so they look dark.
477
00:52:19,120 --> 00:52:21,880
This makes them
stand out against the mudflats,
478
00:52:21,880 --> 00:52:24,560
from which the reflected
light is polarised.
479
00:52:26,800 --> 00:52:30,200
They can see things that
we can only imagine.
480
00:52:30,200 --> 00:52:33,600
When you look up and you see a bird
fly over, it's a white bird against
481
00:52:33,600 --> 00:52:37,920
a white sky whereas, when they look
up, it's just this total silhouette
482
00:52:37,920 --> 00:52:42,640
with the polarisation, and they can
see birds coming from miles away,
483
00:52:42,640 --> 00:52:46,160
and often I'm filming and
they'll all bolt down their holes,
484
00:52:46,160 --> 00:52:47,840
and I'll wonder why they've done it,
485
00:52:47,840 --> 00:52:49,440
and it's just because
they've spotted
486
00:52:49,440 --> 00:52:52,160
a bird way earlier than I would
have been able to see it.
487
00:52:55,040 --> 00:52:58,720
So polarised light helps the crabs
pick out distant potential
488
00:52:58,720 --> 00:53:03,120
mates, rivals and predators more
quickly against their bright,
489
00:53:03,120 --> 00:53:06,800
polarised background.
And for Victor,
490
00:53:06,800 --> 00:53:10,080
it was the first time he had seen
the camera he had developed in
491
00:53:10,080 --> 00:53:15,560
the lab revealing the world in the
way these tiny creatures see it.
492
00:53:15,560 --> 00:53:19,120
It's amazing footage you've
captured, Mark. It's really amazing.
493
00:53:20,640 --> 00:53:23,720
You really put the system
to its limits today.
494
00:53:27,480 --> 00:53:31,240
But there was one even bigger
challenge for the camera -
495
00:53:31,240 --> 00:53:33,760
one that lay farther out to sea.
496
00:53:36,920 --> 00:53:40,600
Underwater, only crustaceans,
cephalopods
497
00:53:40,600 --> 00:53:45,560
and a few fish are known to be able
to see and react to polarised light.
498
00:53:46,760 --> 00:53:49,880
But there is one animal here
that exploits this ability
499
00:53:49,880 --> 00:53:55,600
in a really complex way -
the peacock mantis shrimp.
500
00:53:55,600 --> 00:53:59,520
It's not only able to detect
polarisation, but has patches
501
00:53:59,520 --> 00:54:03,920
on its body that reflect light
in a polarised form,
502
00:54:03,920 --> 00:54:07,400
and it uses them to signal
to others of their own kind
503
00:54:07,400 --> 00:54:09,960
in ways that we cannot normally see.
504
00:54:12,160 --> 00:54:15,440
Professor Justin Marshall
of Queensland University has
505
00:54:15,440 --> 00:54:19,640
adapted the polarising camera
to work underwater.
506
00:54:19,640 --> 00:54:20,840
So here we go, Rory.
507
00:54:20,840 --> 00:54:25,360
This is the camera that's
going to show us polarisation.
508
00:54:25,360 --> 00:54:28,400
Rory McGuinness,
the team's underwater cameraman,
509
00:54:28,400 --> 00:54:31,280
arrives to see the latest
version of the camera.
510
00:54:32,880 --> 00:54:35,160
So you've obviously done
a lot of work to get
511
00:54:35,160 --> 00:54:37,000
this into an underwater housing?
512
00:54:37,000 --> 00:54:38,120
Yep, that's right.
513
00:54:38,120 --> 00:54:41,920
So you can see in here there's
a computer that runs the camera.
514
00:54:41,920 --> 00:54:44,600
There's quite a lot of engineering
going on in there.
515
00:54:50,480 --> 00:54:55,440
Taking the camera for its first test
underwater was a tense moment.
516
00:54:55,440 --> 00:54:58,880
Computers and salt water
don't usually mix well.
517
00:55:07,480 --> 00:55:09,400
Having found a suitable spot,
518
00:55:09,400 --> 00:55:12,560
it was time for the camera's
first critical test.
519
00:55:17,520 --> 00:55:19,560
A leak could be disastrous...
520
00:55:23,920 --> 00:55:25,720
..but all is well.
521
00:55:25,720 --> 00:55:28,000
Now they need a mantis shrimp.
522
00:55:28,000 --> 00:55:31,160
Looks like a promising area, Justin.
523
00:55:31,160 --> 00:55:32,840
It looks perfect, Rory.
524
00:55:32,840 --> 00:55:37,280
So we're looking for a hole
with coral around it.
525
00:55:40,080 --> 00:55:44,520
Hey, look!
Is that a mantis shrimp hole?
526
00:55:44,520 --> 00:55:47,000
The hole's resident soon appeared.
527
00:55:47,000 --> 00:55:49,640
It was time for the camera
to show what it could do.
528
00:55:51,480 --> 00:55:55,560
As the shrimp turns, the polarised
camera shows that its tail
529
00:55:55,560 --> 00:55:59,800
has a shimmering fringe -
invisible in normal light.
530
00:55:59,800 --> 00:56:03,120
Look at that. That's extraordinary!
531
00:56:03,120 --> 00:56:05,040
Life in polarised light.
532
00:56:06,440 --> 00:56:08,200
And this is the first time...
533
00:56:10,680 --> 00:56:14,720
..we've been able to do this
with this very special camera.
534
00:56:16,720 --> 00:56:20,480
The light on the ocean
floor is unpolarised.
535
00:56:20,480 --> 00:56:23,520
So, in complete reverse
to the fiddler crabs,
536
00:56:23,520 --> 00:56:26,760
the mantis shrimps use
polarisation to stand out
537
00:56:26,760 --> 00:56:29,240
against the unpolarised background.
538
00:56:33,560 --> 00:56:38,920
Special pigments polarise the light
reflected from parts of their body,
539
00:56:38,920 --> 00:56:43,480
allowing them to signal to deter
intruders and attract mates.
540
00:56:48,920 --> 00:56:53,640
This camera has revealed to us a
first glimpse into a world of light
541
00:56:53,640 --> 00:56:57,240
that we're only beginning to be
aware of, let alone understand.
542
00:57:06,120 --> 00:57:09,720
In the next episode,
the story of Life In Colour
543
00:57:09,720 --> 00:57:13,120
continues where the
stakes are even higher
544
00:57:13,120 --> 00:57:15,600
and colour is the key to survival.
545
00:57:17,480 --> 00:57:22,200
We discover how animals use
colour to hide from predators
546
00:57:22,200 --> 00:57:24,120
and from their prey.
44333
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