Formal method for objective assessment of primate color

Abstract

To investigate primate color objectively, it is critical to employ tools that yield reliable measures of color samples. Primatologists have traditionally depended on color assessment methods that lack accuracy, precision, and replicability. In this work, we introduce the "red, green, and blue" (RGB) method, a technique combining digital video cameras and Adobe PhotoShop, as a means to assess and graphically represent primate color objectively. Here, we demonstrate the reliability and validity of the RGB method, and to outline the steps for assessing color samples, we report color measures obtained from the scrota of adult vervet monkeys.