In our newly published study, we present the first open-access dataset of spectral reflectance from natural objects in Northwestern Argentina. This collection includes 532 samples from a wide variety of plants, animals, and stones—measured under controlled lighting conditions using a SpectraScan PR-715 spectroradiometer inside a custom-built diffuse illumination cabin.
Why does this matter? The way light reflects off natural surfaces, shapes how (we and other) animals perceive color, influencing everything from pollination to camouflage. Yet, most available datasets come from the Northern Hemisphere. Our dataset helps fill this geographic gap and expands the global understanding of the chromatic diversity in nature.
The spectral data—ranging from 400 to 1000 nm in 4 nm intervals—are ideal for use in studies of color vision, sensory ecology, and even industrial applications like imaging or display technologies. All records are annotated with metadata on taxonomy, patch color, and sample characteristics, and are fully open to the scientific community.
The data are freely available, inviting researchers across disciplines—from evolutionary biology to machine learning—to explore how nature’s palette varies and repeats across the globe.

Explore the dataset: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-025-04675-9