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Nature’s light-absorbing marvel -

Ultra-black is an extraordinary adaptation in animals that reflects less than 1% of light. This rare trait enhances survival by improving camouflage, aiding predator avoidance, or amplifying mating displays, offering a significant evolutionary advantage in diverse environments.

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A rarity -

Ultra-black is a rare evolutionary trait found in unrelated groups like insects, birds, reptiles, and fish. Detecting it requires advanced tools, as it visually resembles regular black but reflects far less light, hiding its unique properties from the naked eye.

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Unexpected applications -

Ultra-black’s principles could revolutionize technology. Scientists aim to mimic this natural adaptation to improve light absorption in solar panels, enhance optical devices, and create better imaging systems.

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The velvet ant’s deceptive identity -

The velvet ant (a wingless wasp found in the tropical savannas of Brazil) looks harmless with its panda-like black-and-white patterns. However, its fierce sting has earned it the nickname "cow-killer," warning predators and researchers alike that it is far from defenseless.

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The science behind ultra-black -

Velvet ants achieve ultra-black coloration through light-scattering hairs and an absorbent exoskeleton. This adaptation reflects almost no light, creating one of nature’s darkest shades and setting the species apart from other insects with traditionally black hues.

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Invisible yet conspicuous -

Velvet ants combine ultra-black and white patterns (with the occasional color) to confuse predators. Their stark contrasts create a disorienting effect that makes them appear to vanish, earning them the nickname “sorcerer ants” for their ability to seemingly disappear in plain sight.

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Role in survival -

In velvet ants, ultra-black enables females to blend into their environments while walking on the ground, reducing the risk of predation. This adaptation enhances their ability to survive while they search for host nests to parasitize.

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Gender differences -

Male velvet ants (which can fly) lack ultra-black coloration, as they face fewer ground-based threats. This highlights how the trait evolved specifically for survival needs.

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Temperature regulation -

Ultra-black may also help velvet ants manage heat under the intense Brazilian sun. By efficiently absorbing light, this coloration might serve a dual purpose, camouflage and thermoregulation, proving it’s an adaptable and multifunctional trait.

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Cunning camouflage -

The Gaboon viper’s ultra-black patches are integral to its dead-leaf-like camouflage, making it almost invisible on the rainforest floor. This sophisticated disguise is truly effective for predatory strategies, as it helps the snake ambush prey.

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Microscopic magic -

The Gaboon viper’s ultra-black patterns come from microscopic structures, not just pigment. These structures trap light effectively, enhancing the snake’s camouflage. This intricate adaptation allows the viper to remain undetectable in its natural habitat.

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A self-cleaning adaptation -

Gaboon vipers have hydrophobic ultra-black scales that repel debris, ensuring their camouflage remains effective in muddy conditions. This self-cleaning property enhances the longevity of their disguise, making it nearly impossible for predators or prey to spot them.

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Deep sea parallels -

In the ocean’s depths, ultra-black traits like those of the viperfish help absorb light and render animals invisible. This adaptation is crucial for survival in a lightless environment, allowing predators and prey to remain concealed in the abyss.

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Bioluminescent depths -

You might wonder why deep-sea fish need such extreme blackness if sunlight doesn’t reach beyond 200 meters (655 feet). The answer lies in bioluminescence—countless marine organisms, from bacteria to squid, emit their own light, turning the ocean’s depths into an eerie, glowing world.

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Glowing survival -

In the ocean’s depths, bioluminescence serves crucial survival functions. Prey species release glowing clouds to confuse or expose predators, while others use facial searchlights to hunt. Anglerfish lure victims with glowing bait, and so surviving in such environments sometimes necessitates a different approach.

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The secret -

All ultra-black aquatic species that exist in the deep of the sea rely on melanin (pictured) to achieve their appearance, the same pigment responsible for human skin color. Their skin is densely packed with cells called melanosomes, each brimming with melanin.

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The battle for the blackest black -

In the art world, the closest thing that humans have to pure black paint is a synthetic pigment known as Vantablack, which absorbs 99.965% of all light. But some species of fish, like the fangtooth, aren’t far behind and can naturally absorb up to 99.956%.

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From the inside out -

Interestingly, some ultra-black fish take camouflage a step further with ultra-black gut linings. This adaptation prevents them from glowing after consuming bioluminescent prey.

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Sexual signaling -

Some animals use ultra-black for attraction. Birds-of-paradise, like Victoria’s riflebird, employ ultra-black feathers to make adjacent bright colors appear even more vivid. This striking contrast enhances their courtship displays and increases their chances of reproductive success.

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A dazzling dance -

Peacock spiders (such as Maratus tasmanicus) also use ultra-black patches to amplify their colorful displays. During courtship rituals, this combination of ultra-black and vibrant colors enhances visual appeal, helping males attract mates in the competitive world of arachnids.

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Butterflies -

Blue-frosted banner butterflies employ ultra-black regions on their wings to create a dramatic contrast with their other colors as well. This optical trick enhances their vibrancy, potentially aiding communication, deterring predators, or impressing mates.

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Structural diversity -

Ultra-black arises from various microstructures depending on the animal. Insects with exoskeletons tend to use scattering hairs to create ultra-black, while butterflies rely on wing ridges and snakes have cone-shaped scales. This diversity reveals the creative solutions that evolution has devised to achieve similar optical effects across species.

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Biomimetics -

Biomimicry, which involves modeling man-made products after things in the natural world, could benefit from ultra-black species. They could be studied to refine optical devices or build solar panels that harvest light far more effectively.

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Nature’s blueprint for stealth -

Ultra-black melanin does more than just create camouflage—it also absorbs X-rays, radiation, and heavy metals. This unique ability has captured the interest of material scientists, who see potential applications for coating submarines, among other advancements.

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Synthetic blackness -

The closest thing that humans have to ultra-black is the aforementioned Vantablack pigment, which is made up of microscopic carbon nanotubes, essentially tiny cylinders that trap light. But not only is this time consuming to produce, it's also expensive.

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A costly endeavor -

A quarter of a gallon (one liter) of Vantablack can cost an astonishing US$300. Using natural alternatives could prove more cost effective, and also reduce the need for artists to rely on synthetic materials.

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The future of ultra-black research -

As scientists uncover more ultra-black species, they aim to deepen our understanding of its evolutionary advantages. This research could reveal new insights into animal biology and pave the way for groundbreaking innovations in material science.

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A testament to evolution’s creativity -

The existence of ultra-black proves nature’s endless ingenuity. From hiding predators to wooing mates, this rare adaptation is truly the pinnacle of evolutionary design, and it reminds us of the marvels that remain to be discovered in the natural world.

Sources: (National Geographic) (Wired) (Britannica) (Smithsonian Magazine)

See also: Why is the color blue rare in nature?

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