Sensory influences on physical design of a visual display

Physical design features of animal visual signals have rarely been analysed. The parameters of motion patterns found in the visual displays of the iguanid lizard, Anolis auratus, were analysed by comparing a long-range display directed at unattentive viewers with a short-range display directed at attentive viewers. Movements in the long-range display were of higher amplitude, increasing the distance over which the display can be resolved. The initial portion of the long-range display contained movements of extremely high acceleration and velocity, which have been shown to be extremely effective at drawing attention. It is shown that the physical properties of a visual signal depend on the context in which it is used, and the response properties of the visual system.