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Review
Polarisation signals: a new currency for communication
N. Justin Marshall, Samuel B. Powell, Thomas W. Cronin, Roy L. Caldwell, Sonke Johnsen, Viktor Gruev, T.-H. Short Chiou, Nicholas W. Roberts, Martin J. How
Journal of Experimental Biology 2019 222: jeb134213 doi: 10.1242/jeb.134213 Published 7 February 2019
N. Justin Marshall
Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
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  • For correspondence: Justin.marshall@uq.edu.au
Samuel B. Powell
Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
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Thomas W. Cronin
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland Baltimore County, MD 21250, USA
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Roy L. Caldwell
University of California Berkeley, Department of Integrative Biology, Berkeley, CA 94720-3140, USA
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Sonke Johnsen
Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708-0338, USA
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Viktor Gruev
Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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T.-H. Short Chiou
Department of Life Sciences, National Cheng-Kung University, Tainan City 701, Taiwan
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Nicholas W. Roberts
School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
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Martin J. How
School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
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ABSTRACT

Most polarisation vision studies reveal elegant examples of how animals, mainly the invertebrates, use polarised light cues for navigation, course-control or habitat selection. Within the past two decades it has been recognised that polarised light, reflected, blocked or transmitted by some animal and plant tissues, may also provide signals that are received or sent between or within species. Much as animals use colour and colour signalling in behaviour and survival, other species additionally make use of polarisation signalling, or indeed may rely on polarisation-based signals instead. It is possible that the degree (or percentage) of polarisation provides a more reliable currency of information than the angle or orientation of the polarised light electric vector (e-vector). Alternatively, signals with specific e-vector angles may be important for some behaviours. Mixed messages, making use of polarisation and colour signals, also exist. While our knowledge of the physics of polarised reflections and sensory systems has increased, the observational and behavioural biology side of the story needs more (and more careful) attention. This Review aims to critically examine recent ideas and findings, and suggests ways forward to reveal the use of light that we cannot see.

FOOTNOTES

  • Competing interests

    The authors declare no competing or financial interests.

  • Supplementary information

    Supplementary information available online at http://jeb.biologists.org/lookup/doi/10.1242/jeb.134213.supplemental

  • © 2019. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd
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Keywords

  • Polarised light
  • Signalling
  • Vision

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Review
Polarisation signals: a new currency for communication
N. Justin Marshall, Samuel B. Powell, Thomas W. Cronin, Roy L. Caldwell, Sonke Johnsen, Viktor Gruev, T.-H. Short Chiou, Nicholas W. Roberts, Martin J. How
Journal of Experimental Biology 2019 222: jeb134213 doi: 10.1242/jeb.134213 Published 7 February 2019
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Review
Polarisation signals: a new currency for communication
N. Justin Marshall, Samuel B. Powell, Thomas W. Cronin, Roy L. Caldwell, Sonke Johnsen, Viktor Gruev, T.-H. Short Chiou, Nicholas W. Roberts, Martin J. How
Journal of Experimental Biology 2019 222: jeb134213 doi: 10.1242/jeb.134213 Published 7 February 2019

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Article navigation

  • Top
  • Article
    • ABSTRACT
    • Introduction
    • Polarised light
    • Polarisation vision
    • Polarisation in aquatic environments
    • Polarising signals and polarisation information
    • Polarised food
    • Mate choice, habitat choice, polarisation and colour
    • Signal orientation, confounding parameters and polarisation contrast
    • Polarisation camouflage
    • Circular polarisation and the case for covert communication
    • A guide to studying polarisation signalling
    • Conclusions
    • FOOTNOTES
    • References
  • Figures & tables
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