Meeting Abstract

35.4  Friday, Jan. 4  3D Imaging Spectroscopy for Measuring Organismal Hyperspectral Patterns HARVEY, TA*; PRUM, RO; Yale University; Yale University todd.harvey@yale.edu

The color phenotype of an organism consists of a complete description of the variation in spectral reflectance over the entire organismal surface. Scientific description of the color phenotype requires detailed documentation of both the spectral variation and spatial variation of the surface of the organism. Because many organisms use color in communication and crypsis, the color phenotype should be described over the visible spectrum of the organisms themselves, their predators, or ecological interactors. From flowers and fishes to birds and butterflies, organisms have evolved integuments of astounding beauty and diversity, including brilliant color and dramatic pattern. Research into the evolution of color, size, shape, and distribution of reflectance is limited by current technology. Therefore, we developed novel methods to capture simultaneously a 3D virtual model of organismal surface geometry and the NUV-Vis-NIR spectral reflectance over the organism’s surface. Example data sets demonstrate how we integrate 3D laser scanning, hyperspectral imaging, range image/hyperspectral image registration, and surface mesh-texture integration to capture the color phenotypes of a diversity of bird plumages. Using physiological models of tetrachromatic avian color vision, we then calculate avian color channels for each pixel on the surface of the 3D virtual model of the bird and project these color channels back on to the 3D virtual model. We anticipate that an entirely new standard in visual ecology, behavioral ecology, and evolutionary biology will be established as new methods exploit the advantages of 3D, whole organism, and hyperspectral data sets to test hypotheses about coloration, function, and evolution within populations, between sexes, and among species.