Coevolution in Hide and Seek: Camouflage and Vision

Predator-prey interactions are one of the most common co-evolutionary dynamics in Nature. We consider a model of the coevolution of prey appearance and predator vision, where a successful result is visually apparent. While using a neurophysiologically-based model of vision and a rich devel-opmental process for prey patterning, we show that predator-prey coevolution can maintain engagement. Backgrounds with large regional differences generally lead to prey that appear as mixtures of the regions. Finally, we find that en-gagement between predators and prey is supported by greater background complexity. One of the most visually-striking phenomena in predator-prey coevolution is prey crypsis, the ability of prey to avoid detection by predators. Chameleons and cuttlefish take thi