Few organisms produce blue pigments naturally. While many species have evolved pigments for green, yellow and red, true blue pigments are rare because of the chemical complexity required to produce them.
Many animals and plants that appear blue, such as butterflies and flowers, don’t have blue pigments. Instead, their colour comes from the microscopic structures that scatter light to reflect only blue wavelengths, called structural colouration.
Producing blue pigments is energetically expensive for living organisms. Evolution tends to favour easier and more energy-efficient methods, which is why organisms have developed other ways, like structural colouration, to appear blue.
The blue end of the light spectrum has shorter wavelengths, which are less commonly absorbed by biological materials, making it more difficult for natural substances to appear blue compared to longer wavelengths like reds and yellows.
In many environments, blue may not have been an advantageous colour for survival. Green, brown, and other earthy tones tend to provide better camouflage for many species, making blue less favoured in natural selection.
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