How Do Chameleons Change Color?

New research shows chameleons actively tune nano-crystals to change their color.
"Photonic Crystals Cause Active Colour Change in Chameleons"

This research was carried out by Jérémie Teyssier, Suzanne V. Saenko, Dirk van der Marel & Michel C. Milinkovitch at the University of Geneva Department of Quantum Matter Physics and the Laboratory of Artificial and Natural Evolution (LANE)

Original videos of chameleons are here:

For correspondence: Michel C. Milinkovitch, Laboratory of Artificial & Natural Evolution (LANE), Dept. of Genetics & Evolution, University of Geneva, Switzerland.

The melanin spreading out video is courtesy of Richard Wheeler:

Special thanks to:
Harry, Jo, Daniella and Raquel for helping me produce and film this video - it looks great thanks to you!

[naqiyahmulachelah]

"your crush is coming, act natural"
Chameleon:

[pieterpan]

People who came here after ""Chameleon changing color" after "when a chameleon trust you", Have a nice day !!

[raihanahmed]

So you're telling me they don't use photoshop?

[Booley]

2:53 The facial expressions of the calm chameleon and the excited chameleon are fantastic

[michaelramirez]

my wife changes color when she is pissed lol...

[iguanian]

Fascinating! Many years ago I gave a report on how the color change happened, and it was via chromatophores - tree-like cells that shifted their "branches" causing the color change. I can see how that was refined into this, since the shifting part of the cells is obviously the important part. What was missing was the nano-crystals, which makes it much more logical and much cooler. Thanks for the video!

[yemhigtm]

Now, apply that technology to clothes. That would be SO AWESOME!

[NitinBansal]

Apple: we have best retina display
Chameleon: hold my crystals..

[AliHSyed]

his shirt changes color at 0:16, pretty cool effect

[joaoavo]

Hi. First time I comment on your videos, so let me say I really like your channel.
As a scientist, I find that a lot of youtube content falls way too short on communicating science in an accurate and accessible way, but your videos really accomplish that. Everytime I watch one, I learn something new.
I am a photophysicist and I deal with colors all the time, so I really enjoyed this clip.
I just want to leave a small correction. The green color cannot be created by the combination of yellow pigment and reflected blue light. This is something that I find hard to explain to colleagues and friends that do not usually work with optical materials, but pigment color and light color are not the same, and actually, they are complementary (opposite). Light has 3 primary colors, Red/Green/Blue (RGB), and pigments have Cyan/Magenta/Yellow. For a pigment to be yellow, it will have to absorb blue light, and reflect Red+Green. Thus, the Yellow pigment would absorb the blue light reflected by the nanocrystal layer, or, otherwise, the color would be white. To yield green, the nanocrystals should reflect green, and the pigment contribution should be minimal. If the information on that study is written as you explained here, it should not be correct.

Keep up the good work
Cheers

[GreenEnvy.]

me: So THAT'S how chameleons change colors.
my wife: How?
me: I don't know. crystals?

[RobinJohnson]

What he didn't explain is how they are able to CHOOSE the color they turn.

[Shehan.Beeharie]

0:16 That low-key shirt colour change!! ;)

[russellesteban]

2:08 chameleon has a green heart on one of the red scales near its face.

[pappisaints]

did anyone think they were tripping when his shirt changes color LOL

[redkb]

Next how does a cuttlefish change color.

[mckennacisler]

Its neat that modern science was wrong about something so commonly accepted for so long... its humbling and a testament to the flexibility and objectiveness of the scientific method. Also, I think it is really cool that evolution has bridged the gap of practicality between microscopic wavelength-specific reflecting crystals and the larger world of a Chameleon's behavior.

[Knobbler]

2:55 "excited yellow chameleons" nah man, I think he's depressed.

[petchameleoncare]

Great video! Chameleons' color-changing abilities have always been a marvel, and this new research uncovering their nano-crystal tuning is truly remarkable. Nature's ingenuity never ceases to amaze. 🔬🦎🌈

[SWTH]

Incredible. Even in these modern days we still have a lot to learn from nature