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Itahara A, Kano F. Gaze tracking of large-billed crows (Corvus macrorhynchos) in a motion capture system. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb246514. [PMID: 38362616 PMCID: PMC11007591 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Previous studies often inferred the focus of a bird's attention from its head movements because it provides important clues about their perception and cognition. However, it remains challenging to do so accurately, as the details of how they orient their visual field toward the visual targets remain largely unclear. We thus examined visual field configurations and the visual field use of large-billed crows (Corvus macrorhynchos Wagler 1827). We used an established ophthalmoscopic reflex technique to identify the visual field configuration, including the binocular width and optical axes, as well as the degree of eye movement. A newly established motion capture system was then used to track the head movements of freely moving crows to examine how they oriented their reconstructed visual fields toward attention-getting objects. When visual targets were moving, the crows frequently used their binocular visual fields, particularly around the projection of the beak-tip. When the visual targets stopped moving, crows frequently used non-binocular visual fields, particularly around the regions where their optical axes were found. On such occasions, the crows slightly preferred the right eye. Overall, the visual field use of crows is clearly predictable. Thus, while the untracked eye movements could introduce some level of uncertainty (typically within 15 deg), we demonstrated the feasibility of inferring a crow's attentional focus by 3D tracking of their heads. Our system represents a promising initial step towards establishing gaze tracking methods for studying corvid behavior and cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihiro Itahara
- Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto 6068203, Japan
| | - Fumihiro Kano
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behavior, University of Konstanz, Konstanz 78464, Germany
- Max-Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell 78315, Germany
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2
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Caves EM, Fernández-Juricic E, Kelley LA. Ecological and morphological correlates of visual acuity in birds. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb246063. [PMID: 38126722 PMCID: PMC10906485 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Birds use their visual systems for important tasks, such as foraging and predator detection, that require them to resolve an image. However, visual acuity (the ability to perceive spatial detail) varies by two orders of magnitude across birds. Prior studies indicate that eye size and aspects of a species' ecology may drive variation in acuity, but these studies have been restricted to small numbers of species. We used a literature review to gather data on acuity measured either behaviorally or anatomically for 94 species from 38 families. We then examined how acuity varies in relation to (1) eye size, (2) habitat spatial complexity, (3) habitat light level, (4) diet composition, (5) prey mobility and (6) foraging mode. A phylogenetically controlled model including all of the above factors as predictors indicated that eye size and foraging mode are significant predictors of acuity. Examining each ecological variable in turn revealed that acuity is higher in species whose diet comprises vertebrates or scavenged food and whose foraging modes require resolving prey from farther away. Additionally, species that live in spatially complex, vegetative habitats have lower acuity than expected for their eye sizes. Together, our results suggest that the need to detect important objects from far away - such as predators for species that live in open habitats, and food items for species that forage on vertebrate and scavenged prey - has likely been a key driver of higher acuity in some species, helping us to elucidate how visual capabilities may be adapted to an animal's visual needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor M. Caves
- University of California Santa Barbara, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
- University of Exeter, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| | | | - Laura A. Kelley
- University of Exeter, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
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3
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Light-induced asymmetries in embryonic retinal gene expression are mediated by the vascular system and extracellular matrix. Sci Rep 2022; 12:12086. [PMID: 35840576 PMCID: PMC9287303 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-14963-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Left–right asymmetries in the nervous system (lateralisation) influence a broad range of behaviours, from social responses to navigation and language. The role and pathways of endogenous and environmental mechanisms in the ontogeny of lateralisation remains to be established. The domestic chick is a model of both endogenous and experience-induced lateralisation driven by light exposure. Following the endogenous rightward rotation of the embryo, the asymmetrical position in the egg results in a greater exposure of the right eye to environmental light. To identify the genetic pathways activated by asymmetric light stimulation, and their time course, we exposed embryos to different light regimes: darkness, 6 h of light and 24 h of light. We used RNA-seq to compare gene expression in the right and left retinas and telencephalon. We detected differential gene expression in right vs left retina after 6 h of light exposure. This difference was absent in the darkness condition and had already disappeared by 24 h of light exposure, suggesting that light-induced activation is a self-terminating phenomenon. This transient effect of light exposure was associated with a downregulation of the sensitive-period mediator gene DIO2 (iodothyronine deiodinase 2) in the right retina. No differences between genes expressed in the right vs. left telencephalon were detected. Gene networks associated with lateralisation were connected to vascularisation, cell motility, and the extracellular matrix. Interestingly, we know that the extracellular matrix—including the differentially expressed PDGFRB gene—is involved in morphogenesis, sensitive periods, and in the endogenous chiral mechanism of primary cilia, that drives lateralisation. Our data show a similarity between endogenous and experience-driven lateralisation, identifying functional gene networks that affect lateralisation in a specific time window.
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Allometry for Eyes and Optic Lobes in Oval Squid (Sepioteuthis lessoniana) with Special Reference to Their Ontogenetic Asymmetry. Symmetry (Basel) 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/sym14040644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Eyes develop in relation to body size and brain area for visual processing in some vertebrates. Meanwhile, it is well known that many animals exhibit left–right asymmetry in both morphology and behavior, namely, lateralization. However, it remains unclear whether the eyes and visual processing brain areas synchronously develop for their asymmetry. Oval squid (Sepioteuthis lessoniana) exhibits lateralization of optic lobe volume and left or right eye usage toward specific targets during their ontogeny. We address the question of how left–right asymmetry of the eyes and optic lobes exhibit an allometric pattern. To examine this question, we estimated the left and right volumes of eyes and optic lobes using microcomputed tomography. We found that, for the optic lobe volume, the right enlargement that appeared at ages 45 and 80 days then shifted to the left at age 120 days. In contrast, the volume of eyes did not show any left–right asymmetries from hatching to age 120 days. We also found that the volume of the eyes and optic lobes showed a slower increase than that of the whole-body size. Within these two visually related organs, the eyes grew faster than the optic lobes until age 120 days. These results are discussed in the context of the survival strategy of oval squid that form schools, two months post-hatching.
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Planidin NP, Reimchen TE. Behavioural responses of threespine stickleback with lateral line asymmetries to experimental mechanosensory stimuli. J Exp Biol 2021; 225:273859. [PMID: 34939652 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Behavioural asymmetry, typically referred to as laterality, is widespread among bilaterians and is often associated with asymmetry in brain structure. However, the influence of sensory receptor asymmetry on laterality has undergone limited investigation. Here we use threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) to investigate the influence of lateral line asymmetry on laterality during lab simulations of three mechanosensation-dependent behaviours: predator evasion, prey localization and rheotaxis. We recorded the response of stickleback to impacts at the water surface and water flow in photic conditions and low-frequency oscillations in the dark, across four repeat trials. We then compared individuals' laterality to asymmetry in the number of neuromasts on either side of their body. Stickleback hovered with their right side against the arena wall 57% of the time (P<0.001) in illuminated surface impact trials and 56% of the time in (P=0.085) dark low-frequency stimulation trials. Light regime modulated the effect of neuromast count on laterality, as fish with more neuromasts were more likely to hover with the wall on their right during illumination (P=0.007) but were less likely to do so in darkness (P=0.025). Population level laterality diminished in later trials across multiple behaviours and individuals did not show a consistent side bias in any behaviours. Our results demonstrate a complex relationship between sensory structure asymmetry and laterality, suggesting that laterality is modulated multiple sensory modalities and temporally dynamic.
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Ecological predictors of lateral line asymmetry in stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Evol Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-021-10117-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Hausberger M, Henry L, Rethoré B, Pougnault L, Kremers D, Rössler C, Aubry C, Cousillas H, Boye M, Lemasson A. When perceptual laterality vanishes with curiosity: A study in dolphins and starlings. Laterality 2021; 26:238-259. [PMID: 33653219 DOI: 10.1080/1357650x.2021.1890758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Sensory laterality is influenced by the individual's attentional state. There are variations in the way different individuals of a same species attend to stimuli. When confronted to novelty, some individuals are more explorative than others. Curiosity is composed of sensation and knowledge seeking in humans. In the present study, we hypothesized that more curious animals, i.e., showing more sensory exploration would be less lateralized than quietly attentive individuals, performing instead more gazing behaviours. In order to test this hypothesis and its possible generality, we performed two studies using two animal models (dolphins and starlings) and two modalities (visual and auditory) of presentation of species-specific and non-species-specific stimuli. Both dolphins and starlings presented more gazes for the species-specific stimuli and more exploratory components for the non-species-specific stimuli. Moreover, in both cases, the non-species-specific stimuli involved more lateralized responses whereas there was no or less clear laterality for the species-specific stimuli. The more exploratory dolphins and starlings also showed a decreased laterality: the more "curious" individuals showed no laterality. Further studies are needed on characterization of curiosity in relation to attention structure. The present study suggests that individual variations in sensory laterality may help disentangle the subtle differences between curiosity, attention and boldness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martine Hausberger
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie animale et humaine, UMR 6552, CNRS, Université de Caen-Normandie, Université de Rennes, Rennes, France
| | - Laurence Henry
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie animale et humaine, UMR 6552, CNRS, Université de Caen-Normandie, Université de Rennes, Rennes, France
| | - Barbara Rethoré
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie animale et humaine, UMR 6552, CNRS, Université de Caen-Normandie, Université de Rennes, Rennes, France
| | - Loïc Pougnault
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie animale et humaine, UMR 6552, CNRS, Université de Caen-Normandie, Université de Rennes, Rennes, France
| | - Dorothee Kremers
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie animale et humaine, UMR 6552, CNRS, Université de Caen-Normandie, Université de Rennes, Rennes, France
| | - Christiane Rössler
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie animale et humaine, UMR 6552, CNRS, Université de Caen-Normandie, Université de Rennes, Rennes, France
| | - Christine Aubry
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie animale et humaine, UMR 6552, CNRS, Université de Caen-Normandie, Université de Rennes, Rennes, France
| | - Hugo Cousillas
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie animale et humaine, UMR 6552, CNRS, Université de Caen-Normandie, Université de Rennes, Rennes, France
| | - Martin Boye
- Département Scientifique et Pédagogique, Planète Sauvage, Port-Saint-Père, France
| | - Alban Lemasson
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie animale et humaine, UMR 6552, CNRS, Université de Caen-Normandie, Université de Rennes, Rennes, France
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8
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Seifert M, Baden T, Osorio D. The retinal basis of vision in chicken. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2020; 106:106-115. [PMID: 32295724 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2020.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Revised: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The Avian retina is far less known than that of mammals such as mouse and macaque, and detailed study is overdue. The chicken (Gallus gallus) has potential as a model, in part because research can build on developmental studies of the eye and nervous system. One can expect differences between bird and mammal retinas simply because whereas most mammals have three types of visual photoreceptor birds normally have six. Spectral pathways and colour vision are of particular interest, because filtering by oil droplets narrows cone spectral sensitivities and birds are probably tetrachromatic. The number of receptor inputs is reflected in the retinal circuitry. The chicken probably has four types of horizontal cell, there are at least 11 types of bipolar cell, often with bi- or tri-stratified axon terminals, and there is a high density of ganglion cells, which make complex connections in the inner plexiform layer. In addition, there is likely to be retinal specialisation, for example chicken photoreceptors and ganglion cells have separate peaks of cell density in the central and dorsal retina, which probably serve different types of behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Seifert
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, UK.
| | - T Baden
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, UK; Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tuebingen, Germany
| | - D Osorio
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, UK
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9
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Spatial and temporal patterns of lateralization in a parrot species complex. Evol Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-020-10069-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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10
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Potier S, Mitkus M, Lisney TJ, Isard PF, Dulaurent T, Mentek M, Cornette R, Schikorski D, Kelber A. Inter-individual differences in foveal shape in a scavenging raptor, the black kite Milvus migrans. Sci Rep 2020; 10:6133. [PMID: 32273526 PMCID: PMC7145841 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-63039-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Birds, and especially raptors, are believed to forage mainly using visual cues. Indeed, raptors (scavengers and predators) have the highest visual acuity known to date. However, scavengers and predators differ in their visual systems such as in their foveal configuration. While the function of the foveal shape remains unknown, individual variation has never been quantified in birds. In this study, we examined whether foveal shape differs among individuals in relation to eye size, sex, age, eye (left or right) and genetic proximity in a scavenging raptor, the black kite Milvus migrans. We assessed foveal shape in 47 individuals using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) and geometric morphometric analysis. We found that foveal depth was significantly related to eye size. While foveal width also increased with eye size, it was strongly related to age; younger individuals had a wider fovea with a more pronounced rim. We found no relationship between foveal shape and genetic proximity, suggesting that foveal shape is not a hereditary trait. Our study revealed that the shape of the fovea is directly linked to eye size and that the physical structure of the fovea may develop during the entire life of black kites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Potier
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, Lund, S-22362, Sweden.
| | - Mindaugas Mitkus
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, Lund, S-22362, Sweden
- Institute of Biosciences, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Thomas J Lisney
- CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS - Université de Montpellier - Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier - EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Pierre-François Isard
- Unité d'Ophtalmologie, Centre Hospitalier Vétérinaire, Saint-Martin-Bellevue, France
| | - Thomas Dulaurent
- Unité d'Ophtalmologie, Centre Hospitalier Vétérinaire, Saint-Martin-Bellevue, France
| | - Marielle Mentek
- Unité d'Ophtalmologie, Centre Hospitalier Vétérinaire, Saint-Martin-Bellevue, France
| | - Raphaël Cornette
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB) - Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, 57 rue Cuvier, CP 50, 75005, Paris, France
| | | | - Almut Kelber
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, Lund, S-22362, Sweden
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Koskenpato K, Lehikoinen A, Lindstedt C, Karell P. Gray plumage color is more cryptic than brown in snowy landscapes in a resident color polymorphic bird. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:1751-1761. [PMID: 32128114 PMCID: PMC7042677 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Revised: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Camouflage may promote fitness of given phenotypes in different environments. The tawny owl (Strix aluco) is a color polymorphic species with a gray and brown morph resident in the Western Palearctic. A strong selection pressure against the brown morph during snowy and cold winters has been documented earlier, but the selection mechanisms remain unresolved. Here, we hypothesize that selection favors the gray morph because it is better camouflaged against predators and mobbers in snowy conditions compared to the brown one. We conducted an online citizen science experiment where volunteers were asked to locate a gray or a brown tawny owl specimen from pictures taken in snowy and snowless landscapes. Our results show that the gray morph in snowy landscapes is the hardest to detect whereas the brown morph in snowy landscapes is the easiest to detect. With an avian vision model, we show that, similar to human perceivers, the brown morph is more conspicuous than the gray against coniferous tree trunks for a mobbing passerine. We suggest that with better camouflage, the gray morph may avoid mobbers and predators more efficiently than the brown morph and thus survive better in snowy environments. As winters are getting milder and shorter in the species range, the selection periods against brown coloration may eventually disappear or shift poleward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja Koskenpato
- The Helsinki Lab of OrnithologyFinnish Museum of Natural HistoryUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
- Bioeconomy Research TeamNovia University of Applied SciencesEkenäsFinland
| | - Aleksi Lehikoinen
- The Helsinki Lab of OrnithologyFinnish Museum of Natural HistoryUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - Carita Lindstedt
- Department of Biological and Environmental SciencesCentre of Excellence in Biological InteractionsUniversity of JyväskyläJyväskyläFinland
| | - Patrik Karell
- Bioeconomy Research TeamNovia University of Applied SciencesEkenäsFinland
- Department of BiologyLund UniversityLundSweden
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12
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Flying up the Bird Tree. Trends Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2018.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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13
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Lateral Asymmetry of Brain and Behaviour in the Zebra Finch, Taeniopygia guttata. Symmetry (Basel) 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/sym10120679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Lateralisation of eye use indicates differential specialisation of the brain hemispheres. We tested eye use by zebra finches to view a model predator, a monitor lizard, and compared this to eye use to view a non-threatening visual stimulus, a jar. We used a modified method of scoring eye preference of zebra finches, since they often alternate fixation of a stimulus with the lateral, monocular visual field of one eye and then the other, known as biocular alternating fixation. We found a significant and consistent preference to view the lizard using the left lateral visual field, and no significant eye preference to view the jar. This finding is consistent with specialisation of the left eye system, and right hemisphere, to attend and respond to predators, as found in two other avian species and also in non-avian vertebrates. Our results were considered together with hemispheric differences in the zebra finch for processing, producing, and learning song, and with evidence of right-eye preference in visual searching and courtship behaviour. We conclude that the zebra finch brain has the same general pattern of asymmetry for visual processing as found in other vertebrates and suggest that, contrary to earlier indications from research on lateralisation of song, this may also be the case for auditory processing.
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Mäntylä E, Kleier S, Lindstedt C, Kipper S, Hilker M. Insectivorous Birds Are Attracted by Plant Traits Induced by Insect Egg Deposition. J Chem Ecol 2018; 44:1127-1138. [PMID: 30417204 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-018-1034-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2018] [Revised: 10/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Insectivorous birds feed upon all developmental stages of herbivorous insects, including insect eggs if larvae and adults are unavailable. Insect egg deposition on plants can induce plant traits that are subsequently exploited by egg parasitoids searching for hosts. However, it is unknown whether avian predators can also use egg-induced plant changes for prey localization. Here, we studied whether great tits (Parus major) and blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) are attracted by traits of the Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) induced by pine sawfly (Diprion pini) egg deposition. We chose this plant - insect system because sawfly egg deposition on pine needles is known to locally and systemically induce a change in pine volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and tits are known to prey upon sawfly eggs. In dual choice laboratory experiments, we simultaneously offered the birds an egg-free control branch and a systemically egg-induced branch. Significantly more birds visited the egg-induced branch first. We confirmed by GC-MS analyses that systemically egg-induced branches released more (E)-β-farnesene compared to control branches. Spectrophotometric analyses showed that control branches reflected more light than egg-induced branches throughout the avian visual range. Although a discrimination threshold model for blue tits suggests that the birds are poor at discriminating this visual difference, the role of visual stimuli in attracting the birds to egg-induced pines cannot be discounted. Our study shows, for the first time, that egg-induced odorous and/or visual plant traits can help birds to locate insect eggs without smelling or seeing those eggs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elina Mäntylä
- Applied Zoology/Animal Ecology, Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Haderslebener Str. 9, DE-12163, Berlin, Germany. .,Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, CZ-37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Sven Kleier
- Applied Zoology/Animal Ecology, Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Haderslebener Str. 9, DE-12163, Berlin, Germany
| | - Carita Lindstedt
- Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Silke Kipper
- Animal Behaviour, Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustr. 6, DE-14195, Berlin, Germany.,Chair of Zoology, Technische Universität München, Liesel-Beckmann-Str. 4, DE-85350, Freising, Germany
| | - Monika Hilker
- Applied Zoology/Animal Ecology, Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Haderslebener Str. 9, DE-12163, Berlin, Germany
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16
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Butler SR, Fernández-Juricic E. European starlings use their acute vision to check on feline predators but not on conspecifics. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0188857. [PMID: 29370164 PMCID: PMC5784912 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0188857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2017] [Accepted: 11/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Head movements allow birds with laterally placed eyes to move their centers of acute vision around and align them with objects of interest. Consequently, head movements have been used as indicator of fixation behavior (where gaze is maintained). However, studies on head movement behavior have not elucidated the degree to which birds use high-acuity or low-acuity vision. We studied how European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) used high-acuity vision in the early stages of visual exploration of a stuffed cat (common terrestrial predator), a taxidermy Cooper’s hawk (common aerial predator), and a stuffed study skin of a conspecific. We found that starlings tended to use their high acuity vision when looking at predators, particularly, the cat was above chance levels. However, when they viewed a conspecific, they used high acuity vision as expected by chance. We did not observe a preference for the left or right center of acute vision. Our findings suggest that starlings exposed to a predator (particularly cats) may employ selective attention by using high-acuity vision to obtain quickly detailed information useful for a potential escape, but exposed to a social context may use divided attention by allocating similar levels high- and low-quality vision to monitor both conspecifics and the rest of the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon R. Butler
- Purdue University, Department of Biological Sciences, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Esteban Fernández-Juricic
- Purdue University, Department of Biological Sciences, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
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17
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Ronald KL, Ensminger AL, Shawkey MD, Lucas JR, Fernández-Juricic E. Testing a key assumption in animal communication: between-individual variation in female visual systems alters perception of male signals. Biol Open 2017; 6:1771-1783. [PMID: 29247048 PMCID: PMC5769651 DOI: 10.1242/bio.028282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Variation in male signal production has been extensively studied because of its relevance to animal communication and sexual selection. Although we now know much about the mechanisms that can lead to variation between males in the properties of their signals, there is still a general assumption that there is little variation in terms of how females process these male signals. Variation between females in signal processing may lead to variation between females in how they rank individual males, meaning that one single signal may not be universally attractive to all females. We tested this assumption in a group of female wild-caught brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater), a species that uses a male visual signal (e.g. a wingspread display) to make its mate-choice decisions. We found that females varied in two key parameters of their visual sensory systems related to chromatic and achromatic vision: cone densities (both total and proportions) and cone oil droplet absorbance. Using visual chromatic and achromatic contrast modeling, we then found that this between-individual variation in visual physiology leads to significant between-individual differences in how females perceive chromatic and achromatic male signals. These differences may lead to variation in female preferences for male visual signals, which would provide a potential mechanism for explaining individual differences in mate-choice behavior. Summary: Animal communication studies often assume receiver perception is equal across individuals; we found females vary in their visual physiology and perception of male signals which could influence their mating decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly L Ronald
- Indiana University, Department of Biology, Jordan Hall, 1001 E 3rd Street, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA .,Purdue University, Department of Biological Sciences, Lilly Hall, 915 West State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Amanda L Ensminger
- Morningside College, Biology Department, 1501 Morningside Avenue, Sioux City, IA 51106, USA
| | - Matthew D Shawkey
- Evolution and Optics of Nanostructure Group, Department of Biology, University of Ghent, Ledeganckstraat 35, Ghent 9000, Belgium
| | - Jeffrey R Lucas
- Purdue University, Department of Biological Sciences, Lilly Hall, 915 West State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Esteban Fernández-Juricic
- Purdue University, Department of Biological Sciences, Lilly Hall, 915 West State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
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Werther K, Candioto CG, Korbel R. Ocular Histomorphometry of Free-Living Common Kestrels (Falco tinnunculus). J Avian Med Surg 2017; 31:319-326. [DOI: 10.1647/2014-039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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19
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Lindstedt C, Boncoraglio G, Cotter S, Gilbert J, Kilner RM. Aposematism in the burying beetle? Dual function of anal fluid in parental care and chemical defense. Behav Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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20
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Yoo HN, Lee JW, Yoo JC. Asymmetry of eye color in the common cuckoo. Sci Rep 2017; 7:7612. [PMID: 28790375 PMCID: PMC5548743 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-08071-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2017] [Accepted: 07/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Bilateral symmetry is assumed to contribute to the evolution of eye color, with the left and right eye being the same color in most vertebrates; yet, few studies tested this assumption. Here, we compared the amount of iris flecking (black spots presented on the iris) between the left and right eye of 76 adult common cuckoos Cuculus canorus. We found considerable variation in the total amount of iris flecking among individuals, with variation being associated with body size and sex. We also found that the amount of iris flecking differed between the left and right eye and that this left-right asymmetry was not random, with the left eye almost always being darker than the right eye. Furthermore, this asymmetry was negatively associated with wing length; however, this effect was limited to individuals with dark eyes. Overall, the asymmetric, but non-random, distribution of iris flecking between the left and right eye may indicate that selection pressures driving asymmetry (such as visual lateralization) act on the development of iris colors, even though this effect might be limited, due to the role of bilateral symmetry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ha-Na Yoo
- Korea Institute of Ornithology & Department of Biology, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin-Won Lee
- Korea Institute of Ornithology & Department of Biology, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, 02447, Republic of Korea.
| | - Jeong-Chil Yoo
- Korea Institute of Ornithology & Department of Biology, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, 02447, Republic of Korea
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Lateral thinking - Interocular symmetry and asymmetry in neurovascular patterning, in health and disease. Prog Retin Eye Res 2017; 59:131-157. [PMID: 28457789 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2017.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2016] [Revised: 03/24/2017] [Accepted: 04/24/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
No biological system or structure is likely to be perfectly symmetrical, or have identical right and left forms. This review explores the evidence for eye and visual pathway asymmetry, in health and in disease, and attempts to provide guidance for those studying the structure and function of the visual system, where recognition of symmetry or asymmetry may be essential. The principal question with regards to asymmetry is not 'are the eyes the same?', for some degree of asymmetry is pervasive, but 'when are they importantly different?'. Knowing if right and left eyes are 'importantly different' could have significant consequences for deciding whether right or left eyes are included in an analysis or for examining the association between a phenotype and ocular parameter. The presence of significant asymmetry would also have important implications for the design of normative databases of retinal and optic nerve metrics. In this review, we highlight not only the universal presence of asymmetry, but provide evidence that some elements of the visual system are inherently more asymmetric than others, pointing to the need for improved normative data to explain sources of asymmetry and their impact on determining associations with genetic, environmental or health-related factors and ultimately in clinical practice.
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22
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Malkemper EP, Painter MS, Landler L. Shifted magnetic alignment in vertebrates: Evidence for neural lateralization? J Theor Biol 2016; 399:141-7. [PMID: 27059891 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2016.03.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2016] [Revised: 03/13/2016] [Accepted: 03/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
A wealth of evidence provides support for magnetic alignment (MA) behavior in a variety of disparate species within the animal kingdom, in which an animal, or a group of animals, show a tendency to align the body axis in a consistent orientation relative to the geomagnetic field lines. Interestingly, among vertebrates, MA typically coincides with the north-south magnetic axis, however, the mean directional preferences of an individual or group of organisms is often rotated clockwise from the north-south axis. We hypothesize that this shift is not a coincidence, and future studies of this subtle, yet consistent phenomenon may help to reveal some properties of the underlying sensory or processing mechanisms, that, to date, are not well understood. Furthermore, characterizing the fine structure exhibited in MA behaviors may provide key insights to the biophysical substrates mediating magnetoreception in vertebrates. Therefore, in order to determine if a consistent shift is exhibited in taxonomically diverse vertebrates, we performed a meta-analysis on published MA datasets from 23 vertebrate species that exhibited an axial north-south preference. This analysis revealed a significant clockwise shift from the north-south magnetic axis. We summarize and discuss possible competing hypotheses regarding the proximate mechanisms underlying the clockwise shifted MA and conclude that the most likely cause of such a shift would be a lateralization in central processing of magnetic information.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Pascal Malkemper
- Department of General Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstrasse. 2, 45117 Essen, Germany; Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 165 21 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Michael S Painter
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Lukas Landler
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America; Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna Biocenter (VBC), 1030 Vienna, Austria.
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Butler SR, Fernández-Juricic E. European starlings recognize the location of robotic conspecific attention. Biol Lett 2015; 10:20140665. [PMID: 25319821 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2014.0665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Looking where others are allocating attention can facilitate social interactions by providing information about objects or locations of interest. We asked whether European starlings follow the orientation behaviour of conspecifics owing to their highly gregarious behaviour. Starlings reoriented their attention to follow that of a robot around a barrier more often than when the robot's attention was directed elsewhere. This is the first empirical evidence of reorienting in response to conspecific attention in a songbird. Starlings may use this behaviour to obtain fine-tuned spatial information from conspecifics (e.g. direction of predator approach, spatial location of food patches), enhancing group cohesion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon R Butler
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
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Ensminger AL, Fernández-Juricic E. Individual variation in cone photoreceptor density in house sparrows: implications for between-individual differences in visual resolution and chromatic contrast. PLoS One 2014; 9:e111854. [PMID: 25372039 PMCID: PMC4221115 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0111854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2014] [Accepted: 09/28/2014] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Between-individual variation has been documented in a wide variety of taxa, especially for behavioral characteristics; however, intra-population variation in sensory systems has not received similar attention in wild animals. We measured a key trait of the visual system, the density of retinal cone photoreceptors, in a wild population of house sparrows (Passer domesticus). We tested whether individuals differed from each other in cone densities given within-individual variation across the retina and across eyes. We further tested whether the existing variation could lead to individual differences in two aspects of perception: visual resolution and chromatic contrast. We found consistent between-individual variation in the densities of all five types of avian cones, involved in chromatic and achromatic vision. Using perceptual modeling, we found that this degree of variation translated into significant between-individual differences in visual resolution and the chromatic contrast of a plumage signal that has been associated with mate choice and agonistic interactions. However, there was no evidence for a relationship between individual visual resolution and chromatic contrast. The implication is that some birds may have the sensory potential to perform "better" in certain visual tasks, but not necessarily in both resolution and contrast simultaneously. Overall, our findings (a) highlight the need to consider multiple individuals when characterizing sensory traits of a species, and (b) provide some mechanistic basis for between-individual variation in different behaviors (i.e., animal personalities) and for testing the predictions of several widely accepted hypotheses (e.g., honest signaling).
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda L. Ensminger
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Esteban Fernández-Juricic
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
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26
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Hegna RH, Mappes J. Influences of geographic differentiation in the forewing warning signal of the wood tiger moth in Alaska. Evol Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-014-9734-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Abstract
Glass patterns are structured dot stimuli used to investigate the visual perception of global form. Studies have demonstrated that humans and pigeons differ in their processing of circular versus linearly organized Glass patterns. To test whether this comparative difference is characteristic of birds as a phylogenetic class, we investigated for the first time how a passerine (starlings, Sturnus vulgaris) discriminated multiple Glass patterns from random-dot stimuli in a simultaneous discrimination. By examining acquisition, steady-state performance, and the effects of diminishing global coherence, it was found that the perception of Glass patterns by 5 starlings differed from human perception and corresponded to that established with pigeons. This suggests an important difference in how birds and primates are specialized in their processing of circular visual patterns, perhaps related to face perception, or in how these highly visual animals direct attention to the global and local components of spatially separated form stimuli.
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Coimbra JP, Collin SP, Hart NS. Topographic specializations in the retinal ganglion cell layer correlate with lateralized visual behavior, ecology, and evolution in cockatoos. J Comp Neurol 2014; 522:3363-85. [DOI: 10.1002/cne.23637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2014] [Revised: 05/26/2014] [Accepted: 05/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- João Paulo Coimbra
- School of Animal Biology, The University of Western Australia; Crawley Western Australia 6009 Australia
- The Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia; Crawley Western Australia 6009 Australia
- School of Anatomical Sciences, The University of the Witwatersrand; Parktown 2193 Johannesburg South Africa
| | - Shaun P. Collin
- School of Animal Biology, The University of Western Australia; Crawley Western Australia 6009 Australia
- The Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia; Crawley Western Australia 6009 Australia
| | - Nathan S. Hart
- School of Animal Biology, The University of Western Australia; Crawley Western Australia 6009 Australia
- The Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia; Crawley Western Australia 6009 Australia
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Nokelainen O, Valkonen J, Lindstedt C, Mappes J. Changes in predator community structure shifts the efficacy of two warning signals in Arctiid moths. J Anim Ecol 2014; 83:598-605. [PMID: 24164666 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2013] [Accepted: 10/21/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Polymorphism in warning coloration is puzzling because positive frequency-dependent selection by predators is expected to promote monomorphic warning signals in defended prey. We studied predation on the warning-coloured wood tiger moth (Parasemia plantaginis) by using artificial prey resembling white and yellow male colour morphs in five separate populations with different naturally occurring morph frequencies. We tested whether predation favours one of the colour morphs over the other and whether that is influenced either by local, natural colour morph frequencies or predator community composition. We found that yellow specimens were attacked less than white ones regardless of the local frequency of the morphs indicating frequency-independent selection, but predation did depend on predator community composition: yellows suffered less attacks when Paridae were abundant, whereas whites suffered less attacks when Prunellidae were abundant. Our results suggest that spatial heterogeneity in predator community composition can generate a geographical mosaic of selection facilitating the evolution of polymorphic warning signals. This is the first time this mechanism gains experimental support. Altogether, this study sheds light on the evolution of adaptive coloration in heterogeneous environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ossi Nokelainen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Finland
| | - Janne Valkonen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Finland
| | - Carita Lindstedt
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Finland
| | - Johanna Mappes
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, Centre of Excellence in Biological Interactions, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Finland
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Feinkohl A, Borzeszkowski KM, Klump GM. Effect of head turns on the localization accuracy of sounds in the European starling (Sturnus vulgaris). Behav Brain Res 2013; 256:669-76. [PMID: 24035879 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2013.08.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2013] [Revised: 08/19/2013] [Accepted: 08/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Long signal durations that represent closed-loop conditions permit responses based on the sensory feedback during the presentation of the stimulus, while short stimulus durations that represent open-loop conditions do not allow for directed head turns during signal presentation. A previous study showed that for broadband noise stimuli, the minimum audible angle (MAA) of the European starling (Sturnus vulgaris) is smaller under closed-loop compared to open-loop conditions (Feinkohl & Klump, 2013). Head turns represent a possible strategy to improve sound localization cues under closed-loop conditions. In this study, we analyze the influence of head turns on the starling MAA for broadband noise and 2 kHz tones under closed-loop and open-loop conditions. The starlings made more head turns under closed-loop conditions compared to open-loop conditions. Under closed-loop conditions, their sensitivity for discriminating sound source positions was best if they turned their head once or more per stimulus presentation. We discuss potential cues generated from head turns under closed-loop conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arne Feinkohl
- Cluster of Excellence Hearing4all, Animal Physiology and Behaviour Group, Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Oldenburg, D-26111 Oldenburg, Germany
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Fernández-Juricic E, Ojeda A, Deisher M, Burry B, Baumhardt P, Stark A, Elmore AG, Ensminger AL. Do male and female cowbirds see their world differently? Implications for sex differences in the sensory system of an avian brood parasite. PLoS One 2013; 8:e58985. [PMID: 23544049 PMCID: PMC3609808 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0058985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2012] [Accepted: 02/08/2013] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Male and female avian brood parasites are subject to different selection pressures: males compete for mates but do not provide parental care or territories and only females locate hosts to lay eggs. This sex difference may affect brain architecture in some avian brood parasites, but relatively little is known about their sensory systems and behaviors used to obtain sensory information. Our goal was to study the visual resolution and visual information gathering behavior (i.e., scanning) of brown-headed cowbirds. Methodology/Principal Findings We measured the density of single cone photoreceptors, associated with chromatic vision, and double cone photoreceptors, associated with motion detection and achromatic vision. We also measured head movement rates, as indicators of visual information gathering behavior, when exposed to an object. We found that females had significantly lower density of single and double cones than males around the fovea and in the periphery of the retina. Additionally, females had significantly higher head-movement rates than males. Conclusions Overall, we suggest that female cowbirds have lower chromatic and achromatic visual resolution than males (without sex differences in visual contrast perception). Females might compensate for the lower visual resolution by gazing alternatively with both foveae in quicker succession than males, increasing their head movement rates. However, other physiological factors may have influenced the behavioral differences observed. Our results bring up relevant questions about the sensory basis of sex differences in behavior. One possibility is that female and male cowbirds differentially allocate costly sensory resources, as a recent study found that females actually have greater auditory resolution than males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esteban Fernández-Juricic
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America.
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Night-migratory songbirds possess a magnetic compass in both eyes. PLoS One 2012; 7:e43271. [PMID: 22984416 PMCID: PMC3440406 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0043271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2012] [Accepted: 07/18/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies on European robins, Erithacus rubecula, and Australian silvereyes, Zosterops lateralis, had suggested that magnetic compass information is being processed only in the right eye and left brain hemisphere of migratory birds. However, recently it was demonstrated that both garden warblers, Sylvia borin, and European robins have a magnetic compass in both eyes. These results raise the question if the strong lateralization effect observed in earlier experiments might have arisen from artifacts or from differences in experimental conditions rather than reflecting a true all-or-none lateralization of the magnetic compass in European robins. Here we show that (1) European robins having only their left eye open can orient in their seasonally appropriate direction both during autumn and spring, i.e. there are no strong lateralization differences between the outward journey and the way home, that (2) their directional choices are based on the standard inclination compass as they are turned 180° when the inclination is reversed, and that (3) the capability to use the magnetic compass does not depend on monocular learning or intraocular transfer as it is already present in the first tests of the birds with only one eye open.
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Nokelainen O, Hegna RH, Reudler JH, Lindstedt C, Mappes J. Trade-off between warning signal efficacy and mating success in the wood tiger moth. Proc Biol Sci 2011; 279:257-65. [PMID: 21653589 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2011.0880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The coloration of species can have multiple functions, such as predator avoidance and sexual signalling, that directly affect fitness. As selection should favour traits that positively affect fitness, the genes underlying the trait should reach fixation, thereby preventing the evolution of polymorphisms. This is particularly true for aposematic species that rely on coloration as a warning signal to advertise their unprofitability to predators. Nonetheless, there are numerous examples of aposematic species showing remarkable colour polymorphisms. We examined whether colour polymorphism in the wood tiger moth is maintained by trade-offs between different functions of coloration. In Finland, males of this species have two distinct colour morphs: white and yellow. The efficacy of the warning signal of these morphs was tested by offering them to blue tits in the laboratory. Birds hesitated significantly longer to attack yellow than white males. In a field experiment, the survival of the yellow males was also higher than white males. However, mating experiments in the laboratory revealed that yellow males had lower mating success than white males. Our results offer an explanation for the maintenance of polymorphism via trade-off between survival selection and mating success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ossi Nokelainen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, Centre of Excellence in Evolutionary Research, University of Jyväskylä, , PO Box 35, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland.
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Processing of transient signals in the visual system of the European starling (Sturnus vulgaris) and humans. Vision Res 2011; 51:21-5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2010.09.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2010] [Revised: 07/27/2010] [Accepted: 09/17/2010] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Stobbe N, Dimitrova M, Merilaita S, Schaefer HM. Chromaticity in the UV/blue range facilitates the search for achromatically background-matching prey in birds. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2009; 364:511-7. [PMID: 19000974 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2008.0248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A large variety of predatory species rely on their visual abilities to locate their prey. However, the search for prey may be hampered by prey camouflage. The most prominent example of concealing coloration is background-matching prey coloration characterized by a strong visual resemblance of prey to the background. Even though this principle of camouflage was recognized to efficiently work in predator avoidance a long time ago, the underlying mechanisms are not very well known. In this study, we assessed whether blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) use chromatic cues in the search for prey. We used two prey types that were achromatically identical but differed in chromatic properties in the UV/blue range and presented them on two achromatically identical backgrounds. The backgrounds had either the same chromatic properties as the prey items (matching combination) or differed in their chromatic properties (mismatching combination). Our results show that birds use chromatic cues in the search for mismatching prey, whereupon chromatic contrast leads to a 'pop-out' of the prey item from the background. When prey was presented on a matching background, search times were significantly higher. Interestingly, search for more chromatic prey on the matching background was easier than search for less chromatic prey on the matching background. Our results indicate that birds use both achromatic and chromatic cues when searching for prey, and that the combination of both cues might be helpful in the search task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Stobbe
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Animal Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Haupstrasse 1a, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.
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A behavioral analysis of prey detection lateralization and unilateral transfer in European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris). Behav Processes 2008; 79:125-31. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2008.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2007] [Revised: 06/20/2008] [Accepted: 06/24/2008] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Stobbe N, Schaefer HM. Enhancement of chromatic contrast increases predation risk for striped butterflies. Proc Biol Sci 2008; 275:1535-41. [PMID: 18381256 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2008.0209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many prey species have evolved defensive colour patterns to avoid attacks. One type of camouflage, disruptive coloration, relies on contrasting patterns that hinder predators' ability to recognize an object. While high contrasts are used to facilitate detection in many visual communication systems, they are thought to provide misleading information about prey appearance in disruptive patterns. A fundamental tenet in disruptive coloration theory is the principle of 'maximum disruptive contrast', i.e. disruptive patterns are more effective when higher contrasts are involved. We tested this principle in highly contrasting stripes that have often been described as disruptive patterns. Varying the strength of chromatic contrast between stripes and adjacent pattern elements in artificial butterflies, we found a strong negative correlation between survival probability and chromatic contrast strength. We conclude that too high a contrast leads to increased conspicuousness rather than to effective camouflage. However, artificial butterflies that sported contrasts similar to those of the model species Limenitis camilla survived equally well as background-matching butterflies without these stripes. Contrasting stripes do thus not necessarily increase predation rates. This result may provide new insights into the design and characteristics of a range of colour patterns such as sexual, mimetic and aposematic signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Stobbe
- Faculty of Biology I, Department of Evolutionary Biology and Animal Ecology, University of Freiburg, Haupstrasse 1a, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.
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38
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Directional asymmetry and correlation of tail injury with left-side dominance occur in Serpentes (Sauropsida). ZOOMORPHOLOGY 2007. [DOI: 10.1007/s00435-007-0028-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Hart NS, Lisney TJ, Collin SP. Cone photoreceptor oil droplet pigmentation is affected by ambient light intensity. J Exp Biol 2006; 209:4776-87. [PMID: 17114410 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.02568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARY
The cone photoreceptors of many vertebrates contain spherical organelles called oil droplets. In birds, turtles, lizards and some lungfish the oil droplets are heavily pigmented and function to filter the spectrum of light incident upon the visual pigment within the outer segment. Pigmented oil droplets are beneficial for colour discrimination in bright light, but at lower light levels the reduction in sensitivity caused by the pigmentation increasingly outweighs the benefits generated by spectral tuning. Consequently, it is expected that species with pigmented oil droplets should modulate the density of pigment in response to ambient light intensity and thereby regulate the amount of light transmitted to the outer segment. In this study, microspectrophotometry was used to measure the absorption spectra of cone oil droplets in chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) reared under bright (unfiltered) or dim (filtered) sunlight. Oil droplet pigmentation was found to be dependent on the intensity of the ambient light and the duration of exposure to the different lighting treatments. In adult chickens reared in bright light, the oil droplets of all cone types (except the violet-sensitive single cones, whose oil droplet is always non-pigmented) were more densely pigmented than those in chickens reared in dim light. Calculations show that the reduced levels of oil droplet pigmentation in chickens reared in dim light would increase the sensitivity and spectral bandwidth of the outer segment significantly. The density of pigmentation in the oil droplets presumably represents a trade-off between the need for good colour discrimination and absolute sensitivity. This might also explain why nocturnal animals, or those that underwent a nocturnal phase during their evolution, have evolved oil droplets with low pigment densities or no pigmentation or have lost their oil droplets altogether.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan S Hart
- Vision, Touch and Hearing Research Centre, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia.
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40
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Hoffman AM, Robakiewicz PE, Tuttle EM, Rogers LJ. Behavioural lateralisation in the Australian magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen). Laterality 2006; 11:110-21. [PMID: 16513572 DOI: 10.1080/13576500500376674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
In many vertebrates, the brain is lateralised such that each hemisphere is specialised to serve specific functions. This may translate into lateralisation in behaviour through preferential use of receptors or appendages associated with a particular hemisphere (e.g., handedness) or in differential responses to stimuli perceived on the animal's left or right side. In this study, we investigated behavioural laterality in the Australian magpie, Gymnorhina tibicen. We found that, while the birds did not have a population bias for one antipredator behaviour (visual inspection of an approaching human), there were biases for another (alarm calling); those birds that used their left eye more relative to their right eye gave alarm calls more frequently. We also observed that juvenile birds begged for food on the right side of parents significantly more frequently than on the left side. These trends are consistent with trends in behavioural laterality that have been recorded in captive and lab-reared species. Ours is one of the few studies to observe patterns of laterality in a wild species.
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Affiliation(s)
- A M Hoffman
- Dept. of Life Sciences, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN 47809, USA.
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41
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Clara E, Regolin L, Vallortigara G. Visual lateralisation, form preferences, and secondary imprinting in the domestic chick. Laterality 2006; 10:487-502. [PMID: 16298882 DOI: 10.1080/13576500442000247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Newly hatched chicks (Exp. 1) were exposed to an imprinting object of a certain shape (sphere/cylinder) on Day 1 (primary imprinting) and then to a different-shaped object (cylinder/sphere) on Day 2 (secondary imprinting). They were tested on Day 3 for preferences between primary and secondary imprinting objects in binocular and monocular conditions. Right-eyed males, but not females, showed relatively stronger preferences for the primary imprinting object than left-eyed males; however, the asymmetry was modulated by a spontaneous preference for the sphere. In Experiment 2, a more traditional imprinting paradigm was used: chicks were exposed to the same object for the first 2 days, and on Day 3 underwent a free-choice test between the imprinting object (sphere/cylinder) and a novel one (cylinder/sphere). Results showed that no asymmetries in the use of eyes were apparent, only a general preference for the sphere. In Experiment 3 chicks were exposed, as in Experiment 1, to a primary (Day 1) and a secondary (Day 2) imprinting object; on Day 3 they were exposed to both objects simultaneously; they were also tested for preferences for the two stimuli on Day 4. Left- and right-eyed chicks showed different choice, with the latter preferring the cylinder, thus showing that the eye-asymmetry was in some way peculiar to the secondary imprinting procedure.
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42
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Andrew
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK.
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43
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Jacobs GH, Rowe MP. Evolution of vertebrate colour vision. Clin Exp Optom 2004; 87:206-16. [PMID: 15312024 DOI: 10.1111/j.1444-0938.2004.tb05050.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2004] [Revised: 06/02/2004] [Accepted: 06/07/2004] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent years have witnessed a growing interest in learning how colour vision has evolved. This trend has been fuelled by an enhanced understanding of the nature and extent of colour vision among contemporary species, by a deeper understanding of the paleontological record and by the application of new tools from molecular biology. This review provides an assessment of the progress in understanding the evolution of vertebrate colour vision. In so doing, we offer accounts of the evolution of three classes of mechanism important for colour vision--photopigment opsins, oil droplets and retinal organisation--and then examine details of how colour vision has evolved among mammals and, more specifically, among primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerald H Jacobs
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara 93106, USA
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44
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Aggression in females is also lateralized: left-eye bias during aggressive courtship rejection in lizards. Anim Behav 2004. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2003.11.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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45
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Templeton JJ, Gonzalez DP. Reverse lateralization of visual discriminative abilities in the European starling. Anim Behav 2004. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2003.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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46
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Abstract
We investigated how poultry chicks discriminate textures of lines sharing a common orientation from textures of variably oriented lines. Stimulus colours along with illumination were adjusted to selectively stimulate different receptor mechanisms. Chicks could discriminate achromatic textures, but not textures isoluminant to the double cones that gave a long vs. medium wavelength chromatic signal, nor an intensity signal for the short and very-short wavelength cones. These results suggest that detection of line orientation and texture discrimination uses an achromatic signal derived either from the double cones, or summed outputs of long and medium wavelength sensitive single cones.
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Affiliation(s)
- C D Jones
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QG, UK
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47
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48
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Abstract
SUMMARYThe visual sense of the Indian blue-shouldered peafowl Pavo cristatus was investigated with respect to the spectral absorption characteristics of the retinal photoreceptors, the spectral transmittance of the ocular media and the topographic distribution of cells in the retinal ganglion cell layer. Microspectrophotometry revealed a single class of rod,four spectrally distinct types of single cone and a single class of double cone. In the case of the single cone types, which contained visual pigments with wavelengths of maximum absorbance (λmax) at 424, 458,505 and 567 nm, spectral filtering by the ocular media and the different cone oil droplets with which each visual pigment is associated gives predicted peak spectral sensitivities of 432, 477, 537 and 605 nm, respectively. Topographic analysis of retinal ganglion cell distribution revealed a large central area of increased cell density (at peak, 35,609 cells mm-2) with a poorly defined visual streak extending nasally. The peafowl has a calculated maximum spatial resolution (visual acuity) in the lateral visual field of 20.6 cycles degrees-1. These properties of the peafowl eye are discussed with respect to its visual ecology and are compared with those of other closely related species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan S Hart
- Vision, Touch and Hearing Research Centre, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
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49
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Wai SM, Yew DT. A cytological study on the development of the different types of visual cells in the chicken (Gallus domesticus). Cell Mol Neurobiol 2002; 22:57-85. [PMID: 12064518 DOI: 10.1023/a:1015393729005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
The formation of visual cells and their intracellular organelles was studied in the embryonic chicken (Gallus domesticus) between stage 36 and hatching. Cilia formation was observed at stage 30 and by stage 42, outer segment formation from the cilia was evident. The inner segments appeared as buddings at stage 36. By stage 37, the buddings of double cones were observed clearly and such buddings elongated by stage 42. Both the single cones and rods appeared as buddings by stage 38 and elongation of the buddings was seen by stage 42. Oil droplets initially appeared by stage 39 in accessory cones and were observed in other cones by stage 42. Glycogen bodies were demonstrated firstly in rods and accessory cones at stage 43 and their development was completed by stage 45. In essence, all the essential elements of the visual cells were fully developed by hatching.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sen Mun Wai
- Department of Anatomy, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories
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Abstract
The spectral sensitivities of avian retinal photoreceptors are examined with respect to microspectrophotometric measurements of single cells, spectrophotometric measurements of extracted or in vitro regenerated visual pigments, and molecular genetic analyses of visual pigment opsin protein sequences. Bird species from diverse orders are compared in relation to their evolution, their habitats and the multiplicity of visual tasks they must perform. Birds have five different types of visual pigment and seven different types of photoreceptor-rods, double (uneven twin) cones and four types of single cone. The spectral locations of the wavelengths of maximum absorbance (lambda(max)) of the different visual pigments, and the spectral transmittance characteristics of the intraocular spectral filters (cone oil droplets) that also determine photoreceptor spectral sensitivity, vary according to both habitat and phylogenetic relatedness. The primary influence on avian retinal design appears to be the range of wavelengths available for vision, regardless of whether that range is determined by the spectral distribution of the natural illumination or the spectral transmittance of the ocular media (cornea, aqueous humour, lens, vitreous humour). Nevertheless, other variations in spectral sensitivity exist that reflect the variability and complexity of avian visual ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- N S Hart
- Vision, Touch and Hearing Research Centre, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia.
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