Penguins may mistake white plastic for food because of an evolutionary sensory bias
Evolutionary adaptations can become lethal traps in polluted oceans, as penguins increasingly mistake white plastic debris for their natural prey due to deep-seated visual preferences that once ensured their survival.
Penguins possess an evolutionary sensory bias that draws them toward white objects, selecting white plastic bottle caps nearly twice as often as black ones. Researchers at the University of Auckland found that these birds likely confuse white plastic with the pale underbellies of fish or the shimmer of squid. This preference makes white plastic a unique 'triple threat' because it is more common in the ocean and more frequently ingested than other colors.
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