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An evolutionary route to warning coloration

Bright colours that signal toxicity can deter predators, but how such colours initially evolve without first endangering conspicuous organisms is a contentious issue. Analysis of amphibians offers an answer to the puzzle.
  1. Tim Caro

    1. Tim Caro is in the School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 4PJ, UK, and at the Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis, USA.

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Understanding how warning colours first evolved has long vexed scientists. Writing in Science, Loeffler-Henry et al.1 present data that indicate a hitherto unknown mechanism underlying this phenomenon.

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Nature 618, 34-35 (2023)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-01356-8

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Competing Interests

The author declares no competing interests.

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