Dude, everyone wants pattern analysis tools (DEWPAT): Tools for measuring visual pattern complexity from digital images
Abstract Understanding the diversity and function of complex colour patterns is a fundamental interest in ecology and evolutionary biology, but progress on many questions is limited by our ability to quantify diverse visual patterns. We address this problem by introducing Dude, Everyone Wants Patter...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Methods in Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.70048 |
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| author | Jillian A. Sanderson Tristan Aumentado‐Armstrong Charles‐Olivier Dufresne‐Camaro D. Luke Mahler |
| author_facet | Jillian A. Sanderson Tristan Aumentado‐Armstrong Charles‐Olivier Dufresne‐Camaro D. Luke Mahler |
| author_sort | Jillian A. Sanderson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Understanding the diversity and function of complex colour patterns is a fundamental interest in ecology and evolutionary biology, but progress on many questions is limited by our ability to quantify diverse visual patterns. We address this problem by introducing Dude, Everyone Wants Pattern Analysis Tools (DEWPAT), a Python package for characterizing multidimensional pattern complexity. DEWPAT is a flexible framework designed to extract a diversity of components of visual pattern complexity from standard RGB and multispectral images, including information entropy, edge content (average gradient magnitude), high frequency content (detail granularity), heterogeneity and patch dissimilarity. DEWPAT offers image transformation functionality, including blurring to model receiver acuity and segmentation to reduce noise. Functions in this package return both quantitative measurements and graphical representations of colour and pattern diversity. We demonstrate DEWPAT's key functions and applications with three empirical examples (longhorn beetles, anole lizards and flowers). DEWPAT has the potential to quantitatively characterize complex pattern phenotypes in ways that make their features available for biological analysis. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-25cb4f2d9e3744a7bc2e65570692c840 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-210X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Methods in Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj-art-25cb4f2d9e3744a7bc2e65570692c8402025-08-20T03:28:06ZengWileyMethods in Ecology and Evolution2041-210X2025-06-011661095110510.1111/2041-210X.70048Dude, everyone wants pattern analysis tools (DEWPAT): Tools for measuring visual pattern complexity from digital imagesJillian A. Sanderson0Tristan Aumentado‐Armstrong1Charles‐Olivier Dufresne‐Camaro2D. Luke Mahler3Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Toronto Toronto Ontario CanadaDepartment of Computer Science University of Toronto Toronto Ontario CanadaDepartment of Computer Science University of Toronto Toronto Ontario CanadaDepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Toronto Toronto Ontario CanadaAbstract Understanding the diversity and function of complex colour patterns is a fundamental interest in ecology and evolutionary biology, but progress on many questions is limited by our ability to quantify diverse visual patterns. We address this problem by introducing Dude, Everyone Wants Pattern Analysis Tools (DEWPAT), a Python package for characterizing multidimensional pattern complexity. DEWPAT is a flexible framework designed to extract a diversity of components of visual pattern complexity from standard RGB and multispectral images, including information entropy, edge content (average gradient magnitude), high frequency content (detail granularity), heterogeneity and patch dissimilarity. DEWPAT offers image transformation functionality, including blurring to model receiver acuity and segmentation to reduce noise. Functions in this package return both quantitative measurements and graphical representations of colour and pattern diversity. We demonstrate DEWPAT's key functions and applications with three empirical examples (longhorn beetles, anole lizards and flowers). DEWPAT has the potential to quantitatively characterize complex pattern phenotypes in ways that make their features available for biological analysis.https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.70048colour patterncommunicationcomplexityfull spectrum imageimage analysisinformation content |
| spellingShingle | Jillian A. Sanderson Tristan Aumentado‐Armstrong Charles‐Olivier Dufresne‐Camaro D. Luke Mahler Dude, everyone wants pattern analysis tools (DEWPAT): Tools for measuring visual pattern complexity from digital images Methods in Ecology and Evolution colour pattern communication complexity full spectrum image image analysis information content |
| title | Dude, everyone wants pattern analysis tools (DEWPAT): Tools for measuring visual pattern complexity from digital images |
| title_full | Dude, everyone wants pattern analysis tools (DEWPAT): Tools for measuring visual pattern complexity from digital images |
| title_fullStr | Dude, everyone wants pattern analysis tools (DEWPAT): Tools for measuring visual pattern complexity from digital images |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dude, everyone wants pattern analysis tools (DEWPAT): Tools for measuring visual pattern complexity from digital images |
| title_short | Dude, everyone wants pattern analysis tools (DEWPAT): Tools for measuring visual pattern complexity from digital images |
| title_sort | dude everyone wants pattern analysis tools dewpat tools for measuring visual pattern complexity from digital images |
| topic | colour pattern communication complexity full spectrum image image analysis information content |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.70048 |
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