Biology 2012 JAMB Past Questions - Question 12: Countershading is an adaptive feature that enables animals to

Correct Answer

B

Explanation

Countershading is the possession by an animal of a colour on the dorsal side and another colour on the ventral side which matches the colours of the respective backgrounds when the orgainisrn is looked at from above and from below. E.g. the dorsal surface of a fish is dark coloured and this blends with its shadow and the dark waters underneath itwhile the ventral surface is light coloured which resemblesthe sky. This makes the fish to remain undetected in water. The possession of feature that warns or scares away the animals enemies or predators is called warning colouration. Features that attract compatible mates is referred to as structural adaptation to secure mates while features that help to fight enemies is referred as defence adaptation eg. spines in porcupine.