The article The complex arms race between predator and prey in The Economist speaks about camouflage in nature. The author(s) touch on camouflage types, uses, and applications. Predators and prey look to use this phenomenon to their advantage. Camouflage functions to reduce detection, decrease identification, or deflect an attack. The first form tries to make predators think prey is absent, the second to make them think they are inedible, and the last to make them attack insignificant parts of the body. The article presents research findings on camouflage’s efficacy, showing that the type meant to decrease identification is the most effective while deflect attack is the least effective (The Economist, 2022).
Prey has also evolved to camouflage from non-visual predators like bats. Another featured study shows that moths use a layer of fur and scales to reduce their detectability significantly. Humans have borrowed from nature and used lessons learned from animal camouflage for different applications, including makeup to beat facial recognition systems and sound-proofing buildings.
Overall, this is a commendable effort, as the article includes essential information regarding the topic under discussion. The author(s) paint a clear picture, go into specific details, and use examples that leave the reader well-informed on camouflage, its utility and importance, and applications of lessons we can learn from observing its action in nature. Indeed, camouflage is all around us, and it evolved to increase survivability. The different types in nature serve different purposes according to what makes for the best outcomes for a given species, and humans can use insights generated from observing them to improve life (The Economist, 2022). The article also does well to include references to scientific studies, which cements the credibility of the information presented.
However, the article has some glaring weaknesses that the author(s) need to improve on. The first issue is the lack of references to scientific sources in the first half of the paper. For instance, the article references the evolution of moths in England without pointing the reader to sources that provide more information. Camouflage is one of nature’s ingenious ways to ensure its continued existence and is used by prey and predators. This article does an exemplary job trying to elucidate its importance and layout valuable lessons humans can learn.
Reference
The Economist. (2022). The complex arms race between predator and prey. The Economist. Web.