1
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Monteiro JPC, Pröhl H, Lyra ML, Brunetti AE, de Nardin EC, Condez TH, Haddad CFB, Rodríguez A. Expression patterns of melanin-related genes are linked to crypsis and conspicuousness in a pumpkin toadlet. Mol Ecol 2024:e17458. [PMID: 38970414 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/08/2024]
Abstract
Colour signals play pivotal roles in different communication systems, and the evolution of these characters has been associated with behavioural ecology, integumentary production processes and perceptual mechanisms of the species involved. Here, we present the first insight into the molecular and histological basis of skin colour polymorphism within a miniaturized species of pumpkin toadlet, potentially representing the lowest size threshold for colour polytypism in tetrapods. Brachycephalus actaeus exhibits a coloration ranging from cryptic green to conspicuous orange skin, and our findings suggest that colour morphs differ in their capability to be detected by potential predators. We also found that the distribution and abundance of chromatophores are variable in the different colour morphs. The expression pattern of coloration related genes was predominantly associated with melanin synthesis (including dct, edn1, mlana, oca2, pmel, slc24a5, tyrp1 and wnt9a). Up-regulation of melanin genes in grey, green and brown skin was associated with higher melanophore abundance than in orange skin, where xanthophores predominate. Our findings provide a significant foundation for comparing and understanding the diverse pathways that contribute to the evolution of pigment production in the skin of amphibians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliane P C Monteiro
- Post-Graduate Program in Biodiversity, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Biodiversity and Aquaculture Center (CAUNESP), Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
- Center for Research on Biodiversity Dynamics and Climate Change, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine of Hannover, Hannover, Lower Saxony, Germany
| | - Heike Pröhl
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine of Hannover, Hannover, Lower Saxony, Germany
| | - Mariana L Lyra
- Center for Research on Biodiversity Dynamics and Climate Change, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
- New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Andrés E Brunetti
- Center for Research on Biodiversity Dynamics and Climate Change, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
- Institute of Subtropical Biology (IBS, UNaM-CONICET), Posadas, Misiones, Argentina
- Department of Insect Symbiosis, Max Planck Institute of Chemical Ecology, Jena, Thuringia, Germany
| | - Eli C de Nardin
- Department of Biodiversity and Aquaculture Center (CAUNESP), Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Thais H Condez
- Center for Research on Biodiversity Dynamics and Climate Change, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Earth Sciences, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Célio F B Haddad
- Department of Biodiversity and Aquaculture Center (CAUNESP), Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
- Center for Research on Biodiversity Dynamics and Climate Change, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ariel Rodríguez
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine of Hannover, Hannover, Lower Saxony, Germany
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2
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Lin JJ, Wang FY, Chung WY, Wang TY. The genomic evolution of visual opsin genes in amphibians. Vision Res 2024; 222:108447. [PMID: 38906036 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2024.108447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
Among tetrapod (terrestrial) vertebrates, amphibians remain more closely tied to an amphibious lifestyle than amniotes, and their visual opsin genes may be adapted to this lifestyle. Previous studies have discussed physiological, morphological, and molecular changes in the evolution of amphibian vision. We predicted the locations of the visual opsin genes, their neighboring genes, and the tuning sites of the visual opsins, in 39 amphibian genomes. We found that all of the examined genomes lacked the Rh2 gene. The caecilian genomes have further lost the SWS1 and SWS2 genes; only the Rh1 and LWS genes were retained. The loss of the SWS1 and SWS2 genes in caecilians may be correlated with their cryptic lifestyles. The opsin gene syntenies were predicted to be highly similar to those of other bony vertebrates. Moreover, dual syntenies were identified in allotetraploid Xenopus laevis and X. borealis. Tuning site analysis showed that only some Caudata species might have UV vision. In addition, the S164A that occurred several times in LWS evolution might either functionally compensate for the Rh2 gene loss or fine-tuning visual adaptation. Our study provides the first genomic evidence for a caecilian LWS gene and a genomic viewpoint of visual opsin genes by reviewing the gains and losses of visual opsin genes, the rearrangement of syntenies, and the alteration of spectral tuning in the course of amphibians' evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinn-Jy Lin
- National Center for High-performance Computing, National Applied Research Laboratories, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Feng-Yu Wang
- Taiwan Ocean Research Institute, National Applied Research Laboratories, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Yu Chung
- Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Tzi-Yuan Wang
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.
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3
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Kojima K, Yanagawa M, Imamoto Y, Yamano Y, Wada A, Shichida Y, Yamashita T. Convergent mechanism underlying the acquisition of vertebrate scotopic vision. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:107175. [PMID: 38499150 PMCID: PMC11007431 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 03/10/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
High sensitivity of scotopic vision (vision in dim light conditions) is achieved by the rods' low background noise, which is attributed to a much lower thermal activation rate (kth) of rhodopsin compared with cone pigments. Frogs and nocturnal geckos uniquely possess atypical rods containing noncanonical cone pigments that exhibit low kth, mimicking rhodopsin. Here, we investigated the convergent mechanism underlying the low kth of rhodopsins and noncanonical cone pigments. Our biochemical analysis revealed that the kth of canonical cone pigments depends on their absorption maximum (λmax). However, rhodopsin and noncanonical cone pigments showed a substantially lower kth than predicted from the λmax dependency. Given that the λmax is inversely proportional to the activation energy of the pigments in the Hinshelwood distribution-based model, our findings suggest that rhodopsin and noncanonical cone pigments have convergently acquired low frequency of spontaneous-activation attempts, including thermal fluctuations of the protein moiety, in the molecular evolutionary processes from canonical cone pigments, which contributes to highly sensitive scotopic vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keiichi Kojima
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan; Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | - Masataka Yanagawa
- Cellular Informatics Laboratory, RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research, Wako, Japan; Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Yasushi Imamoto
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yumiko Yamano
- Comprehensive Education and Research Center, Kobe Pharmaceutical University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Akimori Wada
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry for Life Science, Kobe Pharmaceutical University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Yoshinori Shichida
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan; Research Organization for Science and Technology, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga, Japan
| | - Takahiro Yamashita
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
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4
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Wan YC, Navarrete Méndez MJ, O'Connell LA, Uricchio LH, Roland AB, Maan ME, Ron SR, Betancourth-Cundar M, Pie MR, Howell KA, Richards-Zawacki CL, Cummings ME, Cannatella DC, Santos JC, Tarvin RD. Selection on Visual Opsin Genes in Diurnal Neotropical Frogs and Loss of the SWS2 Opsin in Poison Frogs. Mol Biol Evol 2023; 40:msad206. [PMID: 37791477 PMCID: PMC10548314 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msad206] [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] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Amphibians are ideal for studying visual system evolution because their biphasic (aquatic and terrestrial) life history and ecological diversity expose them to a broad range of visual conditions. Here, we evaluate signatures of selection on visual opsin genes across Neotropical anurans and focus on three diurnal clades that are well-known for the concurrence of conspicuous colors and chemical defense (i.e., aposematism): poison frogs (Dendrobatidae), Harlequin toads (Bufonidae: Atelopus), and pumpkin toadlets (Brachycephalidae: Brachycephalus). We found evidence of positive selection on 44 amino acid sites in LWS, SWS1, SWS2, and RH1 opsin genes, of which one in LWS and two in RH1 have been previously identified as spectral tuning sites in other vertebrates. Given that anurans have mostly nocturnal habits, the patterns of selection revealed new sites that might be important in spectral tuning for frogs, potentially for adaptation to diurnal habits and for color-based intraspecific communication. Furthermore, we provide evidence that SWS2, normally expressed in rod cells in frogs and some salamanders, has likely been lost in the ancestor of Dendrobatidae, suggesting that under low-light levels, dendrobatids have inferior wavelength discrimination compared to other frogs. This loss might follow the origin of diurnal activity in dendrobatids and could have implications for their behavior. Our analyses show that assessments of opsin diversification in across taxa could expand our understanding of the role of sensory system evolution in ecological adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Chen Wan
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | - María José Navarrete Méndez
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Museo de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador
| | | | - Lawrence H Uricchio
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
| | - Alexandre-Benoit Roland
- FAS Center for Systems Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Research Centre on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Centre for Integrative Biology (CBI), UMR5169 CNRS, Toulouse University, Toulouse, France
| | - Martine E Maan
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Santiago R Ron
- Museo de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador
| | | | - Marcio R Pie
- Department of Zoology, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
- Biology Department, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, United Kingdom
| | - Kimberly A Howell
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | | | - Molly E Cummings
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - David C Cannatella
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- Biodiversity Center, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Juan C Santos
- Department of Biological Sciences, St. John's University, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Rebecca D Tarvin
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
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5
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Secondi J, Scriba MF, Mondy N, Lengagne T. Artificial light at night decreases the pupillary light response of dark-adapted toads to bright light. Integr Zool 2023; 18:867-875. [PMID: 36300756 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12693] [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] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Artificial light at night (ALAN) is expanding worldwide. Many physiological effects have been reported in animals, but we still know little about the consequences for the visual system. The pupil contributes to control incoming light onto the retina. Sudden increases in light intensity evokes the pupil light reflex (PLR). Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGC) affect PLR and melatonin expression, which largely regulate circadian rhythms and PLR itself. IpRCG receive inputs from various photoreptors with different peak sensitivities implying that PLR could be altered by a broad range of light sources. We predicted ALAN to enhance PLR. Contrary to our prediction, dark-adapted cane toads Rhinella marina, exposed to ALAN (5 lx) for 12 days, exhibited a lower PLR than controls and individuals exposed to 0.04 lx, even after 1 h in bright light. We cannot conclude whether ALAN induced a larger pupil size in dark-adapted toads or a slower initial contraction. Nevertheless, the response was triggered by a light source with an emission peak (590 nm) well above the sensitivity peak of melanopsin, the main photoreceptor involved in PLR. Therefore, ALAN alters the capacity of toads to regulate the incoming light in the eye at night, which may reduce the performance of visually guided behaviors, and increase mortality by predators or road kills at night. This first study emphasizes the need to focus on the effect of ALAN on the vision of nocturnal organisms to better understand how this sensory system is altered and anticipate the consequences for organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Secondi
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, Villeurbanne, France
- Faculté des Sciences, Université d'Angers, Angers, France
| | - Madeleine F Scriba
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Nathalie Mondy
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Thierry Lengagne
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, Villeurbanne, France
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6
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Vijayan S, Balamurali GS, Johnson J, Kelber A, Warrant EJ, Somanathan H. Dim-light colour vision in the facultatively nocturnal Asian giant honeybee, Apis dorsata. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20231267. [PMID: 37554033 PMCID: PMC10410228 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1267] [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: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
We discovered nocturnal colour vision in the Asian giant honeybee Apis dorsata-a facultatively nocturnal species-at mesopic light intensities, down to half-moon light levels (approx. 10-2 cd m-2). The visual threshold of nocturnality aligns with their reported nocturnal activity down to the same light levels. Nocturnal colour vision in A. dorsata is interesting because, despite being primarily diurnal, its colour vision capabilities extend into dim light, while the 'model' European honeybee Apis mellifera is reported to be colour-blind at twilight. By employing behavioural experiments with naturally nesting A. dorsata colonies, we show discrimination of the trained colour from other stimuli during the day, and significantly, even at night. Nocturnal colour vision in bees has so far only been reported in the obligately nocturnal carpenter bee Xylocopa tranquebarica. The discovery of colour vision in these two bee species, despite differences in the extent of their nocturnality and the limitations of their apposition compound eye optics, opens avenues for future studies on visual adaptations for dim-light colour vision, their role in pollination of flowers at night, and the effect of light pollution on nocturnal activity in A. dorsata, a ubiquitous pollinator in natural, agricultural and urban habitats in the Asian tropics and sub-tropics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sajesh Vijayan
- School of Biology, IISER-TVM Centre for Research and Education in Ecology and Evolution (ICREEE), Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
| | - G. S. Balamurali
- School of Biology, IISER-TVM Centre for Research and Education in Ecology and Evolution (ICREEE), Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, University of Lund, Sölvegatan 35, Lund 22362, Sweden
| | - Jewel Johnson
- School of Biology, IISER-TVM Centre for Research and Education in Ecology and Evolution (ICREEE), Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
| | - Almut Kelber
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, University of Lund, Sölvegatan 35, Lund 22362, Sweden
| | - Eric J. Warrant
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, University of Lund, Sölvegatan 35, Lund 22362, Sweden
| | - Hema Somanathan
- School of Biology, IISER-TVM Centre for Research and Education in Ecology and Evolution (ICREEE), Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
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7
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Troscianko J. OSpRad: an open-source, low-cost, high-sensitivity spectroradiometer. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:jeb245416. [PMID: 37334657 PMCID: PMC10357011 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.245416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Spectroradiometry is a vital tool in a wide range of biological, physical, astronomical and medical fields, yet its cost and accessibility are frequent barriers to use. Research into the effects of artificial light at night (ALAN) further compounds these difficulties with requirements for sensitivity to extremely low light levels across the ultraviolet to human-visible spectrum. Here, I present an open-source spectroradiometry (OSpRad) system that meets these design challenges. The system utilises an affordable miniature spectrometer chip (Hamamatsu C12880MA), combined with an automated shutter and cosine-corrector, microprocessor controller, and graphical user interface 'app' that can be used with smartphones or desktop computers. The system has high ultraviolet sensitivity and can measure spectral radiance at 0.001 cd m-2 and irradiance at 0.005 lx, covering the vast majority of real-world night-time light levels. The OSpRad system's low cost and high sensitivity make it well suited to a range of spectrometry and ALAN research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jolyon Troscianko
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Treliever Road, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
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8
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de-Oliveira-Nogueira CH, Souza UF, Machado TM, Figueiredo-de-Andrade CA, Mônico AT, Sazima I, Sazima M, Toledo LF. Between fruits, flowers and nectar: The extraordinary diet of the frog Xenohyla truncata. FOOD WEBS 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2023.e00281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
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9
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Geva P, Caruso G, Klaus C, Hamm HE, Gurevich VV, DiBenedetto E, Makino CL. Effects of cell size and bicarbonate on single photon response variability in retinal rods. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:1050545. [PMID: 36590910 PMCID: PMC9796569 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.1050545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Accurate photon counting requires that rods generate highly amplified, reproducible single photon responses (SPRs). The SPR is generated within the rod outer segment (ROS), a multilayered structure built from membranous disks that house rhodopsin. Photoisomerization of rhodopsin at the disk rim causes a local depletion of cGMP that closes ion channels in the plasmalemma located nearby with relative rapidity. In contrast, a photoisomerization at the disk center, distant from the plasmalemma, has a delayed impact on the ion channels due to the time required for cGMP redistribution. Radial differences should be greatest in large diameter rods. By affecting membrane guanylate cyclase activity, bicarbonate could impact spatial inhomogeneity in cGMP content. It was previously known that in the absence of bicarbonate, SPRs are larger and faster at the base of a toad ROS (where the ROS attaches to the rest of the cell) than at the distal tip. Given that bicarbonate enters the ROS at the base and diffuses to the tip and that it expedites flash response recovery, there should be an axial concentration gradient for bicarbonate that would accentuate the base-to-tip SPR differences. Seeking to understand how ROS geometry and bicarbonate affect SPR variability, we used mathematical modeling and made electrophysiological recordings of single rods. Modeling predicted and our experiments confirmed minor radial SPR variability in large diameter, salamander rods that was essentially unchanged by bicarbonate. SPRs elicited at the base and tip of salamander rods were similar in the absence of bicarbonate, but when treated with 30 mM bicarbonate, SPRs at the base became slightly faster than those at the tip, verifying the existence of an axial gradient for bicarbonate. The differences were small and unlikely to undermine visual signaling. However, in toad rods with longer ROSs, bicarbonate somehow suppressed the substantial, axial SPR variability that is naturally present in the absence of bicarbonate. Modeling suggested that the axial gradient of bicarbonate might dampen the primary phototransduction cascade at the base of the ROS. This novel effect of bicarbonate solves a mystery as to how toad vision is able to function effectively in extremely dim light.
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Affiliation(s)
- Polina Geva
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States,*Correspondence: Polina Geva,
| | - Giovanni Caruso
- Italian National Research Council, Istituto di Scienze del Patrimonio Culturale, Roma, Italy
| | - Colin Klaus
- Mathematical Biosciences Institute, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States,College of Public Health, Division of Biostatistics, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Heidi E. Hamm
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | | | | | - Clint L. Makino
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
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10
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Tan S, Li J, Yang Q, Fu J, Chen J. Light/dark phase influences intra-individual plasticity in maintenance metabolic rate and exploratory behavior independently in the Asiatic toad. BMC ZOOL 2022; 7:39. [PMID: 37170388 PMCID: PMC10127016 DOI: 10.1186/s40850-022-00139-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
It is well-known that light/dark phase can affect energy expenditure and behaviors of most organisms; however, its influences on individuality (inter-individual variance) and plasticity (intra-individual variance), as well as their associations remain unclear. To approach this question, we repeatedly measured maintenance metabolic rate (MR), exploratory and risk-taking behaviors across light/dark phase four times using wild-caught female Asiatic toads (Bufo gargarizans), and partitioned their variance components with univariate and bivariate mixed-effects models.
Results
The group means of maintenance MR and risk-taking behavior increased at night, while the group mean of exploratory behavior remained constant throughout the day. At night, the intra-individual variances were elevated in maintenance MR but reduced in exploration, suggesting that phenotypic plasticity was enhanced in the former but constrained in the latter. In addition, maintenance MR was not coupled with exploratory or risk-taking behaviors in daytime or at night, neither at the inter-individual nor intra-individual levels.
Conclusions
Our findings suggest that these traits are independently modulated by the light/dark phase, and an allocation energy management model may be applicable in this species. This study sheds new insights into how amphibians adapt nocturnal lifestyle across multiple hierarchy levels via metabolic and behavioral adjustments.
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11
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Abstract
The ability to see colour at night is known only from a handful of animals. First discovered in the elephant hawk moth Deilephila elpenor, nocturnal colour vision is now known from two other species of hawk moths, a single species of carpenter bee, a nocturnal gecko and two species of anurans. The reason for this rarity—particularly in vertebrates—is the immense challenge of achieving a sufficient visual signal-to-noise ratio to support colour discrimination in dim light. Although no less challenging for nocturnal insects, unique optical and neural adaptations permit reliable colour vision and colour constancy even in starlight. Using the well-studied Deilephila elpenor, we describe the visual light environment at night, the visual challenges that this environment imposes and the adaptations that have evolved to overcome them. We also explain the advantages of colour vision for nocturnal insects and its usefulness in discriminating night-opening flowers. Colour vision is probably widespread in nocturnal insects, particularly pollinators, where it is likely crucial for nocturnal pollination. This relatively poorly understood but vital ecosystem service is threatened from increasingly abundant and spectrally abnormal sources of anthropogenic light pollution, which can disrupt colour vision and thus the discrimination and pollination of flowers. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Understanding colour vision: molecular, physiological, neuronal and behavioural studies in arthropods’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Warrant
- Department of Biology, University of Lund, Sölvegatan 35, 22362 Lund, Sweden
| | - Hema Somanathan
- School of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Maruthamala PO, Vithura, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695551, India
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12
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Stückler S, Fuxjager MJ, Preininger D. Evidence that catecholaminergic systems mediate dynamic colour change during explosive breeding events in toads. Biol Lett 2022; 18:20220337. [PMID: 36259941 PMCID: PMC9580614 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2022.0337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many animals communicate by rapidly (within minutes or seconds) changing their body coloration; however, we know little about the physiology of this behaviour. Here we study how catecholaminergic hormones regulate rapid colour change in explosive breeding toads (Duttaphrynus melanostictus), where large groups of males gather and quickly change their colour from brown to bright yellow during reproduction. We find that both epinephrine (EP) and/or norepinephrine (NE) cause the toads' skin to become yellow in minutes, even in the absence of social and environmental cues associated with explosive breeding. We hypothesize that natural selection drives the evolution of rapid colour change by co-opting the functional effects of catecholaminergic action. If so, then hormones involved in ‘fight or flight’ responses may mechanistically facilitate the emergence of dynamic visual signals that mediate communication in a sexual context.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matthew J. Fuxjager
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Doris Preininger
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Vienna, Austria,Vienna Zoo, 1130 Vienna, Austria
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13
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Thomas KN, Rich C, Quock RC, Streicher JW, Gower DJ, Schott RK, Fujita MK, Douglas RH, Bell RC. Diversity and evolution of amphibian pupil shapes. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blac095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Pupil constriction has important functional consequences for animal vision, yet the evolutionary mechanisms underlying diverse pupil sizes and shapes are poorly understood. We aimed to quantify the diversity and evolution of pupil shapes among amphibians and to test for potential correlations to ecology based on functional hypotheses. Using photographs, we surveyed pupil shape across adults of 1294 amphibian species, 74 families and three orders, and additionally for larval stages for all families of frogs and salamanders with a biphasic ontogeny. For amphibians with a biphasic life history, pupil shape changed in many species that occupy distinct habitats before and after metamorphosis. In addition, non-elongated (circular or diamond) constricted pupils were associated with species inhabiting aquatic or underground environments, and elongated pupils (with vertical or horizontal long axes) were more common in species with larger absolute eye sizes. We propose that amphibians provide a valuable group within which to explore the anatomical, physiological, optical and ecological mechanisms underlying the evolution of pupil shape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate N Thomas
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum , London SW7 5BD , UK
| | - Caitlyn Rich
- Department of Herpetology, California Academy of Sciences , San Francisco, CA 94118 , USA
| | - Rachel C Quock
- Department of Herpetology, California Academy of Sciences , San Francisco, CA 94118 , USA
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University , San Francisco, CA 94132 , USA
| | - Jeffrey W Streicher
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum , London SW7 5BD , UK
| | - David J Gower
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum , London SW7 5BD , UK
| | - Ryan K Schott
- Department of Biology & Centre for Vision Research, York University , Toronto M3J 1P3 , Canada
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution , Washington, DC, 20560-0162 , USA
| | - Matthew K Fujita
- Department of Biology, Amphibian and Reptile Diversity Research Center, The University of Texas at Arlington , Arlington, TX 76019 , USA
| | - Ron H Douglas
- Division of Optometry & Visual Science, School of Health Sciences, City, University of London , Northampton Square, London EC1V 0HB , UK
| | - Rayna C Bell
- Department of Herpetology, California Academy of Sciences , San Francisco, CA 94118 , USA
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution , Washington, DC, 20560-0162 , USA
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14
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Diversity and Sexual Dichromatism in Treefrog Throat Coloration: Potential Signal Function? J HERPETOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1670/21-047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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15
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Schott RK, Bell RC, Loew ER, Thomas KN, Gower DJ, Streicher JW, Fujita MK. Transcriptomic evidence for visual adaptation during the aquatic to terrestrial metamorphosis in leopard frogs. BMC Biol 2022; 20:138. [PMID: 35761245 PMCID: PMC9238225 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01341-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Differences in morphology, ecology, and behavior through ontogeny can result in opposing selective pressures at different life stages. Most animals, however, transition through two or more distinct phenotypic phases, which is hypothesized to allow each life stage to adapt more freely to its ecological niche. How this applies to sensory systems, and in particular how sensory systems adapt across life stages at the molecular level, is not well understood. Here, we used whole-eye transcriptomes to investigate differences in gene expression between tadpole and juvenile southern leopard frogs (Lithobates sphenocephalus), which rely on vision in aquatic and terrestrial light environments, respectively. Because visual physiology changes with light levels, we also tested the effect of light and dark exposure. RESULTS We found 42% of genes were differentially expressed in the eyes of tadpoles versus juveniles and 5% for light/dark exposure. Analyses targeting a curated subset of visual genes revealed significant differential expression of genes that control aspects of visual function and development, including spectral sensitivity and lens composition. Finally, microspectrophotometry of photoreceptors confirmed shifts in spectral sensitivity predicted by the expression results, consistent with adaptation to distinct light environments. CONCLUSIONS Overall, we identified extensive expression-level differences in the eyes of tadpoles and juveniles related to observed morphological and physiological changes through metamorphosis and corresponding adaptive shifts to improve vision in the distinct aquatic and terrestrial light environments these frogs inhabit during their life cycle. More broadly, these results suggest that decoupling of gene expression can mediate the opposing selection pressures experienced by organisms with complex life cycles that inhabit different environmental conditions throughout ontogeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan K Schott
- Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. .,Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, USA.
| | - Rayna C Bell
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, USA.,Department of Herpetology, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ellis R Loew
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Kate N Thomas
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - David J Gower
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | | | - Matthew K Fujita
- Department of Biology, Amphibian and Reptile Diversity Research Center, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA
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16
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Li H, Schrode KM, Bee MA. Vocal sacs do not function in multimodal mate attraction under nocturnal illumination in Cope's grey treefrog. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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17
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Zhao L, Wang J, Zhang H, Wang T, Yang Y, Tang Y, Halfwerk W, Cui J. Parasite defensive limb movements enhance acoustic signal attraction in male little torrent frogs. eLife 2022; 11:e76083. [PMID: 35522043 PMCID: PMC9122496 DOI: 10.7554/elife.76083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Many animals rely on complex signals that target multiple senses to attract mates and repel rivals. These multimodal displays can however also attract unintended receivers, which can be an important driver of signal complexity. Despite being taxonomically widespread, we often lack insight into how multimodal signals evolve from unimodal signals and in particular what roles unintended eavesdroppers play. Here, we assess whether the physical movements of parasite defense behavior increase the complexity and attractiveness of an acoustic sexual signal in the little torrent frog (Amolops torrentis). Calling males of this species often display limb movements in order to defend against blood-sucking parasites such as frog-biting midges that eavesdrop on their acoustic signal. Through mate choice tests we show that some of these midge-evoked movements influence female preference for acoustic signals. Our data suggest that midge-induced movements may be incorporated into a sexual display, targeting both hearing and vision in the intended receiver. Females may play an important role in incorporating these multiple components because they prefer signals which combine multiple modalities. Our results thus help to understand the relationship between natural and sexual selection pressure operating on signalers and how in turn this may influence multimodal signal evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longhui Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of SciencesChengduChina
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal UniversityHaikouChina
| | - Jichao Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal UniversityHaikouChina
| | - Haodi Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of SciencesChengduChina
| | - Tongliang Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal UniversityHaikouChina
| | - Yue Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of SciencesChengduChina
| | - Yezhong Tang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of SciencesChengduChina
| | - Wouter Halfwerk
- Department of Ecological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De BoelelaanAmsterdamNetherlands
| | - Jianguo Cui
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of SciencesChengduChina
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18
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Katlein N, Ray M, Wilkinson A, Claude J, Kiskowski M, Wang B, Glaberman S, Chiari Y. Does colour impact responses to images in geckos? J Zool (1987) 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- N. Katlein
- Department of Biology University of South Alabama Mobile AL USA
| | - M. Ray
- Department of Biology University of South Alabama Mobile AL USA
| | - A. Wilkinson
- School of Life Sciences University of Lincoln Lincoln UK
| | - J. Claude
- UMR UM/CNRS/IRD/EPHE Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution de Montpellier MontpellierFrance
| | - M. Kiskowski
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics University of South Alabama Mobile AL USA
| | - B. Wang
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics University of South Alabama Mobile AL USA
| | - S. Glaberman
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy George Mason University Fairfax VA USA
| | - Y. Chiari
- Department of Biology University of South Alabama Mobile AL USA
- Department of Biology George Mason University Fairfax VA USA
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19
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Robertson JM, Bell RC, Loew ER. Vision in dim light and the evolution of color pattern in a crepuscular/nocturnal frog. Evol Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-022-10173-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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20
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Schott RK, Perez L, Kwiatkowski MA, Imhoff V, Gumm JM. Evolutionary analyses of visual opsin genes in frogs and toads: Diversity, duplication, and positive selection. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8595. [PMID: 35154658 PMCID: PMC8820127 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Among major vertebrate groups, anurans (frogs and toads) are understudied with regard to their visual systems, and little is known about variation among species that differ in ecology. We sampled North American anurans representing diverse evolutionary and life histories that likely possess visual systems adapted to meet different ecological needs. Using standard molecular techniques, visual opsin genes, which encode the protein component of visual pigments, were obtained from anuran retinas. Additionally, we extracted the visual opsins from publicly available genome and transcriptome assemblies, further increasing the phylogenetic and ecological diversity of our dataset to 33 species in total. We found that anurans consistently express four visual opsin genes (RH1, LWS, SWS1, and SWS2, but not RH2) even though reported photoreceptor complements vary widely among species. The proteins encoded by these genes showed considerable sequence variation among species, including at sites known to shift the spectral sensitivity of visual pigments in other vertebrates and had conserved substitutions that may be related to dim-light adaptation. Using molecular evolutionary analyses of selection (dN/dS) we found significant evidence for positive selection at a subset of sites in the dim-light rod opsin gene RH1 and the long wavelength sensitive cone opsin LWS. The function of sites inferred to be under positive selection are largely unknown, but a few are likely to affect spectral sensitivity and other visual pigment functions based on proximity to previously identified sites in other vertebrates. We also found the first evidence of visual opsin duplication in an amphibian with the duplication of the LWS gene in the African bullfrog, which had distinct LWS copies on the sex chromosomes suggesting the possibility of sex-specific visual adaptation. Taken together, our results indicate that ecological factors, such as habitat and life history, as well as behavior, may be driving changes to anuran visual systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan K. Schott
- Department of BiologyYork UniversityTorontoOntarioCanada
- Department of Vertebrate ZoologyNational Museum of Natural HistorySmithsonian InstitutionWashingtonDistrict of ColumbiaUSA
| | - Leah Perez
- Department of BiologyStephen F. Austin State UniversityNacogdochesTexasUSA
| | | | - Vance Imhoff
- Southern Nevada Fish and Wildlife OfficeUS Fish and Wildlife ServiceLas VegasNevadaUSA
| | - Jennifer M. Gumm
- Department of BiologyStephen F. Austin State UniversityNacogdochesTexasUSA
- Ash Meadows Fish Conservation FacilityUS Fish and Wildlife ServiceAmargosa ValleyNevadaUSA
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21
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Fouilloux CA, Yovanovich CAM, Rojas B. Tadpole Responses to Environments With Limited Visibility: What We (Don’t) Know and Perspectives for a Sharper Future. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.766725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Amphibian larvae typically inhabit relatively shallow freshwater environments, and within these boundaries there is considerable diversity in the structure of the habitats exploited by different species. This diversity in habitat structure is usually taken into account in relation to aspects such as locomotion and feeding, and plays a fundamental role in the classification of tadpoles into ecomorphological guilds. However, its impact in shaping the sensory worlds of different species is rarely addressed, including the optical qualities of each of these types of water bodies and the challenges and limitations that they impose on the repertoire of visual abilities available for a typical vertebrate eye. In this Perspective article, we identify gaps in knowledge on (1) the role of turbidity and light-limited environments in shaping the larval visual system; and (2) the possible behavioral and phenotypic responses of larvae to such environments. We also identify relevant unaddressed study systems paying special attention to phytotelmata, whose small size allows for extensive quantification and manipulation providing a rich and relatively unexplored research model. Furthermore, we generate hypotheses ranging from proximate shifts (i.e., red-shifted spectral sensitivity peaks driven by deviations in chromophore ratios) to ultimate changes in tadpole behavior and phenotype, such as reduced foraging efficiency and the loss of antipredator signaling. Overall, amphibians provide an exciting opportunity to understand adaptations to visually limited environments, and this framework will provide novel experimental considerations and interpretations to kickstart future research based on understanding the evolution and diversity of strategies used to cope with limited visibility.
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22
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Phototransduction in Anuran Green Rods: Origins of Extra-Sensitivity. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222413400. [PMID: 34948198 PMCID: PMC8707487 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222413400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Green rods (GRs) represent a unique type of photoreceptor to be found in the retinas of anuran amphibians. These cells harbor a cone-specific blue-sensitive visual pigment but exhibit morphology of the outer segment typical for classic red rods (RRs), which makes them a perspective model object for studying cone–rod transmutation. In the present study, we performed detailed electrophysiological examination of the light sensitivity, response kinetics and parameters of discrete and continuous dark noise in GRs of the two anuran species: cane toad and marsh frog. Our results confirm that anuran GRs are highly specialized nocturnal vision receptors. Moreover, their rate of phototransduction quenching appeared to be about two-times slower than in RRs, which makes them even more efficient single photon detectors. The operating intensity ranges for two rod types widely overlap supposedly allowing amphibians to discriminate colors in the scotopic region. Unexpectedly for typical cone pigments but in line with some previous reports, the spontaneous isomerization rate of the GR visual pigment was found to be the same as for rhodopsin of RRs. Thus, our results expand the knowledge on anuran GRs and show that these are even more specialized single photon catchers than RRs, which allows us to assign them a status of “super-rods”.
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23
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Pushchin I. Retinal ganglion cell distribution and spatial resolution in the Asiatic toad Bufo gargarizans (Günther, 1859). Vision Res 2021; 195:107960. [PMID: 34674891 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2021.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Vision plays a crucial role in the biology of anurans. The spatial arrangement of retinal ganglion cells (GCs) is closely related to visual behavior in vertebrates. There is scarce data on GC topography in anurans, in particular, in toads. I studied the number and distribution of GCs in the retina of the Asiatic toad Bufo gargarizans. GCs were unevenly distributed across the retina. Their spatial density was minimum in the dorsal periphery (3374 and 2486 cells/mm2 in the smaller and larger toad, respectively). It increased towards the retinal equator, where a moderately pronounced visual streak was observed comprising several "patches" of a greater GC density. The streak had somewhat "vague" dorsal and ventral borders. The maximum GC density (8605 and 7282 cells/mm2 in the smaller and larger toad, respectively) was found in the temporal retina, slightly dorsal to the equator. The respective zone was identified as an area centralis. The total GC number ranged from 266 × 103 (smaller toad) to 309 × 103 cells (larger toad). The spatial resolution as estimated from eye geometry and GC density in air was minimum in the dorsal periphery (0.90 and 0.79 cycles per degree in smaller and larger toads, respectively) and maximum in the area centralis (1.43 and 1.36 cycles per degree in smaller and larger toads, respectively). Both retinal specializations found in the Asiatic toad match its biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Pushchin
- Laboratory of Physiology, A.V. Zhirmunsky National Scientific Center of Marine Biology, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok 690041, Russia.
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24
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Cervino NG, Elias-Costa AJ, Pereyra MO, Faivovich J. A closer look at pupil diversity and evolution in frogs and toads. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20211402. [PMID: 34403634 PMCID: PMC8370803 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.1402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The eyes of frogs and toads (Anura) are among their most fascinating features. Although several pupil shapes have been described, the diversity, evolution, and functional role of the pupil in anurans have received little attention. Studying photographs of more than 3200 species, we surveyed pupil diversity, described their morphological variation, tested correlation with adult habits and diel activity, and discuss major evolutionary patterns considering iris anatomy and visual ecology. Our results indicate that the pupil in anurans is a highly plastic structure, with seven main pupil shapes that evolved at least 116 times during the history of the group. We found no significant correlation between pupil shape, adult habits, and diel activity, with the exception of the circular pupil and aquatic habits. The vertical pupil arose at least in the most-recent common ancestor of Anura + Caudata, and this morphology is present in most early-diverging anuran clades. Subsequently, a horizontal pupil, a very uncommon shape in vertebrates, evolved in most neobatrachian frogs. This shape evolved into most other known pupil shapes, but it persisted in a large number of species with diverse life histories, habits, and diel activity patterns, demonstrating a remarkable functional and ecological versatility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia G. Cervino
- División Herpetología, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales ‘Bernardino Rivadavia’ – CONICET, Av. Ángel Gallardo 470, Buenos Aires C1405DJR, Argentina
| | - Agustín J. Elias-Costa
- División Herpetología, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales ‘Bernardino Rivadavia’ – CONICET, Av. Ángel Gallardo 470, Buenos Aires C1405DJR, Argentina
| | - Martín O. Pereyra
- Laboratorio de Genética Evolutiva ‘Claudio J. Bidau’, Instituto de Biología Subtropical (IBS, CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Misiones (UNaM), Posadas, Misiones, Argentina
| | - Julián Faivovich
- División Herpetología, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales ‘Bernardino Rivadavia’ – CONICET, Av. Ángel Gallardo 470, Buenos Aires C1405DJR, Argentina
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1428EGA, Argentina
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25
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Cangiano L, Asteriti S. Interphotoreceptor coupling: an evolutionary perspective. Pflugers Arch 2021; 473:1539-1554. [PMID: 33988778 PMCID: PMC8370920 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-021-02572-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
In the vertebrate retina, signals generated by cones of different spectral preference and by highly sensitive rod photoreceptors interact at various levels to extract salient visual information. The first opportunity for such interaction is offered by electrical coupling of the photoreceptors themselves, which is mediated by gap junctions located at the contact points of specialised cellular processes: synaptic terminals, telodendria and radial fins. Here, we examine the evolutionary pressures for and against interphotoreceptor coupling, which are likely to have shaped how coupling is deployed in different species. The impact of coupling on signal to noise ratio, spatial acuity, contrast sensitivity, absolute and increment threshold, retinal signal flow and colour discrimination is discussed while emphasising available data from a variety of vertebrate models spanning from lampreys to primates. We highlight the many gaps in our knowledge, persisting discrepancies in the literature, as well as some major unanswered questions on the actual extent and physiological role of cone-cone, rod-cone and rod-rod communication. Lastly, we point toward limited but intriguing evidence suggestive of the ancestral form of coupling among ciliary photoreceptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Cangiano
- Dept. of Translational Research, University of Pisa, Via San Zeno 31, 56123, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Sabrina Asteriti
- Dept. of Translational Research, University of Pisa, Via San Zeno 31, 56123, Pisa, Italy
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26
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Gardner KM, Mennill DJ, Savi LM, Shangi NE, Doucet SM. Sexual selection in a tropical toad: Do female toads choose brighter males in a species with rapid colour change? Ethology 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Katrina M. Gardner
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Windsor Windsor ON Canada
| | - Daniel J. Mennill
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Windsor Windsor ON Canada
| | - Lincoln M. Savi
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Windsor Windsor ON Canada
| | - Nicole E. Shangi
- Department of Integrative Biology University of Windsor Windsor ON Canada
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27
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de Busserolles F, Cortesi F, Fogg L, Stieb SM, Luehrmann M, Marshall NJ. The visual ecology of Holocentridae, a nocturnal coral reef fish family with a deep-sea-like multibank retina. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:jeb233098. [PMID: 33234682 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.233098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The visual systems of teleost fishes usually match their habitats and lifestyles. Since coral reefs are bright and colourful environments, the visual systems of their diurnal inhabitants have been more extensively studied than those of nocturnal species. In order to fill this knowledge gap, we conducted a detailed investigation of the visual system of the nocturnal reef fish family Holocentridae. Results showed that the visual system of holocentrids is well adapted to their nocturnal lifestyle with a rod-dominated retina. Surprisingly, rods in all species were arranged into 6-17 well-defined banks, a feature most commonly found in deep-sea fishes, that may increase the light sensitivity of the eye and/or allow colour discrimination in dim light. Holocentrids also have the potential for dichromatic colour vision during the day with the presence of at least two spectrally different cone types: single cones expressing the blue-sensitive SWS2A gene, and double cones expressing one or two green-sensitive RH2 genes. Some differences were observed between the two subfamilies, with Holocentrinae (squirrelfish) having a slightly more developed photopic visual system than Myripristinae (soldierfish). Moreover, retinal topography of both ganglion cells and cone photoreceptors showed specific patterns for each cell type, likely highlighting different visual demands at different times of the day, such as feeding. Overall, their well-developed scotopic visual systems and the ease of catching and maintaining holocentrids in aquaria, make them ideal models to investigate teleost dim-light vision and more particularly shed light on the function of the multibank retina and its potential for dim-light colour vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny de Busserolles
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Fabio Cortesi
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Lily Fogg
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Sara M Stieb
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
- Center for Ecology, Evolution and Biogeochemistry, Eawag Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Seestrasse 79, 6074 Kastanienbaum, Switzerland; and Institute for Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Martin Luehrmann
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - N Justin Marshall
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
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28
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Baden
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9QG, UK; Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, 72076, Germany.
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29
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Hunt JE, Bruno JR, Pratt KG. An Innate Color Preference Displayed by Xenopus Tadpoles Is Persistent and Requires the Tegmentum. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:71. [PMID: 32477078 PMCID: PMC7235192 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Many animals, especially those that develop externally, are equipped with innate color preferences that promote survival. For example, Xenopus tadpoles are known to phototax most robustly towards mid-spectrum (“green”) wavelengths of light while avoiding shorter (“blue”) wavelengths. The innate preference to phototax towards green likely promotes survival by guiding the tadpoles to green aquatic plants—their source of both food and safety. Here, we characterize the dynamics and circuitry that give rise to this intriguing hard-wired behavior. Using a novel open-field experimental paradigm we found that free-swimming tadpoles indeed spend most of their time in the green portion of the test dish, whether green is pitted against white (brighter than green) or black (darker than green). This preference was modest yet incredibly persistent over time, which, according to the shell game model of predator-prey interactions, minimizes being found by the predator. Furthermore, we found that this innate preference for the color green was experience-independent, and manifested mainly via profoundly slower swimming speeds while in the green region of the test dish. Ablation experiments showed that, at the circuit level, the color-guided swimming behavior requires the tegmentum, but not the optic tectum (OT). Lastly, we determined that exposing tadpoles to the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) trazodone switched the tadpoles’ preference from color-based to luminance-based, implicating two distinct visual circuits in the tadpole, one that is associated with color-driven behaviors, another associated with luminance-driven behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasper Elan Hunt
- Department of Zoology and Physiology and Program in Neuroscience, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, United States.,Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - John Rudolph Bruno
- Department of Zoology and Physiology and Program in Neuroscience, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, United States
| | - Kara Geo Pratt
- Department of Zoology and Physiology and Program in Neuroscience, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, United States
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30
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Donner K, Yovanovich CAM. A frog's eye view: Foundational revelations and future promises. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2020; 106:72-85. [PMID: 32466970 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2020.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2020] [Revised: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
From the mid-19th century until the 1980's, frogs and toads provided important research models for many fundamental questions in visual neuroscience. In the present century, they have been largely neglected. Yet they are animals with highly developed vision, a complex retina built on the basic vertebrate plan, an accessible brain, and an experimentally useful behavioural repertoire. They also offer a rich diversity of species and life histories on a reasonably restricted physiological and evolutionary background. We suggest that important insights may be gained from revisiting classical questions in anurans with state-of-the-art methods. At the input to the system, this especially concerns the molecular evolution of visual pigments and photoreceptors, at the output, the relation between retinal signals, brain processing and behavioural decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristian Donner
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Program, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland; PB 65 (Viikinkaari 1), 00014, University of Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Carola A M Yovanovich
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, Brazil; Rua do Matão, Trav. 14, N°101, São Paulo, SP, 05508-090, Brazil.
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31
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Canei J, Burtea C, Nonclercq D. Comparative study of the visual system of two psammophilic lizards (Scincus scincus &Eumeces schneideri). Vision Res 2020; 171:17-30. [PMID: 32360540 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2020.04.004] [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: 11/21/2019] [Revised: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Sand deserts are common biotopes on the earth's surface. Some specialized vertebrate species have colonized these ecological habitats by living buried in the sand. Among these so called psammophilic species are the Scincidae sand dune living species Scincus scincus and Eumeces schneideri. These two skinks share a relatively similar behavioral ecology by living buried in sand, almost all the time for S. scincus and at least for some part of the day for E. schneideri. The visual system of these two lizards was investigated by histological, immunohistochemical, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and morphometric techniques. Both skink species exhibit a retina lacking fovea, composed predominantly of cones presenting two types of oil droplets (pale blue-green and colorless). Both species possess a subset of rod like-photoreceptors (about 1 rod for 30 cones) evidenced by anti-rhodopsin immunoreactivity. A ratio 1:1-1:2 between ganglion cells and photoreceptors points to a linear connection (photoreceptors/bipolar neurons/ganglion cells) in the retina and indicates that both skinks more likely possess good visual acuity, even in the peripheral retina. The MRI analysis revealed differences between the species concerning the eye structures, with a more spherical eye shape for S. scincus, as well as a more flattened lens. The relative lens diameter of both species seems to correspond to a rather photopic pattern. Beside the fact that S. scincus and E. schneideri have different lifestyles, their visual capacities seem similar, and, generally speaking, these two psammophilic species theoretically exhibit visual capacities not far away from non-fossorial species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérôme Canei
- Laboratory of Histology, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Mons, 23, Place du Parc, B-7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Carmen Burtea
- Department of General, Organic and Biomedical Chemistry, NMR and Molecular Imaging Laboratory, University of Mons, B-7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Denis Nonclercq
- Laboratory of Histology, Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Mons, 23, Place du Parc, B-7000 Mons, Belgium.
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32
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Touzot M, Lengagne T, Secondi J, Desouhant E, Théry M, Dumet A, Duchamp C, Mondy N. Artificial light at night alters the sexual behaviour and fertilisation success of the common toad. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 259:113883. [PMID: 31931411 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2019] [Revised: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 12/24/2019] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Artificial Light At Night (ALAN) is an emerging pollution, that dramatically keeps on increasing worldwide due to urbanisation and transport infrastructure development. In 2016, it nearly affected 23% of the Earth's surface. To date, all terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems have been affected. The disruption of natural light cycles due to ALAN is particularly expected for nocturnal species, which require dark periods to forage, move, and reproduce. Apart from chiropterans, amphibians contain the largest proportion of nocturnal species among vertebrates exhibiting an unfavourable conservation status in most parts of the world and living in ALAN polluted areas. Despite the growing number of studies on this subject, our knowledge on the direct influence of nocturnal lighting on amphibians is still scarce. To better understand the consequences of ALAN on the breeding component of amphibian fitness, we experimentally exposed male breeding common toads (Bufo bufo) to ecologically relevant light intensities of 0.01 (control), 0.1 or 5 lux for 12 days. At mating, exposed males took longer than controls to form an amplexus, i.e. to pair with a female, and broke amplexus before egg laying, while controls never did. These behavioural changes were associated with fitness alteration. The fertilisation rate of 5 lux-exposed males was reduced by 25%. Salivary testosterone, which is usually correlated with reproductive behaviours, was not altered by ALAN. Our study demonstrates that ALAN can affect the breeding behaviour of anuran species and reduce one component of their fitness. Given the growing importance of ALAN, more work is needed to understand its long-term consequences on the behaviour and physiology of individuals. It appears essential to identify deleterious effects for animal populations and propose appropriate management solutions in an increasingly brighter world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgane Touzot
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR5023 LEHNA, Villeurbanne, F-69622, France.
| | - Thierry Lengagne
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR5023 LEHNA, Villeurbanne, F-69622, France
| | - Jean Secondi
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR5023 LEHNA, Villeurbanne, F-69622, France; Faculté des Sciences, Université d'Angers, 49045, Angers, France
| | - Emmanuel Desouhant
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR5558 LBBE, Villeurbanne, F-69622, France
| | - Marc Théry
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle (MNHN), UMR 7179, Brunoy, F-91800, France
| | - Adeline Dumet
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR5023 LEHNA, Villeurbanne, F-69622, France
| | - Claude Duchamp
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR5023 LEHNA, Villeurbanne, F-69622, France
| | - Nathalie Mondy
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR5023 LEHNA, Villeurbanne, F-69622, France
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33
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Liebgold EB, Carleton KL. The Right Light: Tiger Salamander Capture Rates and Spectral Sensitivity. WILDLIFE SOC B 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.1058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eric B. Liebgold
- Department of Biological SciencesSalisbury University Salisbury MD 21801 USA
| | - Karen L. Carleton
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Maryland College Park MD 20742 USA
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34
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Lamb JY, Davis MP. Salamanders and other amphibians are aglow with biofluorescence. Sci Rep 2020; 10:2821. [PMID: 32108141 PMCID: PMC7046780 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-59528-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Biofluorescence is the absorption of electromagnetic radiation (light) at one wavelength followed by its reemission at a lower energy and longer wavelength by a living organism. Previous studies have documented the widespread presence of biofluorescence in some animals, including cnidarians, arthropods, and cartilaginous and ray-finned fishes. Many studies on biofluorescence have focused on marine animals (cnidarians, cartilaginous and ray-finned fishes) but we know comparatively little about the presence of biofluorescence in tetrapods. We show for the first time that biofluorescence is widespread across Amphibia, with a focus on salamanders (Caudata), which are a diverse group with a primarily Holarctic distribution. We find that biofluorescence is not restricted to any particular family of salamanders, there is striking variation in their fluorescent patterning, and the primary wavelengths emitted in response to blue excitation light are within the spectrum of green light. Widespread biofluorescence across the amphibian radiation is a previously undocumented phenomenon that could have significant ramifications for the ecology and evolution of these diverse and declining vertebrates. Our results provide a roadmap for future studies on the characterization of molecular mechanisms of biofluorescence in amphibians, as well as directions for investigations into the potential impact of biofluorescence on the visual ecology and behavior of biofluorescent amphibians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Y Lamb
- St. Cloud State University, Department of Biology, St. Cloud, Minnesota, 56301, USA.
| | - Matthew P Davis
- St. Cloud State University, Department of Biology, St. Cloud, Minnesota, 56301, USA.
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35
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Zabuga AV, Arrigo MI, Teyssier J, Mouchet SR, Nishikawa K, Matsui M, Vences M, Milinkovitch MC. Translucent in air and iridescent in water: structural analysis of a salamander egg sac. SOFT MATTER 2020; 16:1714-1721. [PMID: 32031549 DOI: 10.1039/c9sm02151e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Females of some Asian salamanders of the genus Hynobius deposit in streams their eggs embedded in a translucent envelope called an 'egg sac'. The edges of the envelope exhibit a spectacular blue-to-yellow iridescent glow, which instantaneously disappears when the sac is removed from water. First, our scanning electron microscopy analyses reveal that the inner surface of the 100 μm-thick envelope displays striations (length scale of about 3 μm), which are themselves covered by much smaller (190 ± 30 nm) and quasi-periodic corrugations. The latter could constitute a surface diffraction grating generating iridescence by light interference. Second, our transmission electron microscopy and focused-ion-beam scanning electron microscopy analyses show that the bulk of the egg sac wall is composed of meandering fibres with a quasi-periodic modulation of 190 ± 60 nm along the thickness of the envelope, generating a photonic crystal. Third, Fourier power analyses of 450 electron microscopy images with varying incident angles indicate that changing the surrounding medium from water to air shifts most of the backscattered power spectrum to the ultraviolet range, hence, explaining that the egg sac loses visible iridescence when removed out of the water. Fourth, the results of our photography and optical spectroscopy experiments of submerged and emerged egg sacs rule out the possibility that the iridescence is due to a thin film or a multilayer, whereas the observed non-specular response is compatible with the backscattering expected from surface diffraction gratings and volumetric photonic crystals with spatial 1D modulation. Finally, although we mention several potential biological functions of the egg sac structural colours and iridescence, we emphasise that these optical properties might be the by-products of the envelope material internal structure selected during evolution for its mechanical properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra V Zabuga
- Laboratory of Artificial and Natural Evolution (LANE), Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, Sciences III, 30, Quai Ernest-Ansermet, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland.
| | - Marcelle I Arrigo
- Laboratory of Artificial and Natural Evolution (LANE), Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, Sciences III, 30, Quai Ernest-Ansermet, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland.
| | - Jérémie Teyssier
- Department of Quantum Matter Physics, University of Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sébastien R Mouchet
- School of Physics, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QL, UK and Department of Physics, University of Namur, 5000 Namur, Belgium
| | - Kanto Nishikawa
- Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Masafumi Matsui
- Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Miguel Vences
- Zoological Institute, Braunschweig University of Technology, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Michel C Milinkovitch
- Laboratory of Artificial and Natural Evolution (LANE), Department of Genetics and Evolution, University of Geneva, Sciences III, 30, Quai Ernest-Ansermet, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland.
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36
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Portik DM, Bell RC, Blackburn DC, Bauer AM, Barratt CD, Branch WR, Burger M, Channing A, Colston TJ, Conradie W, Dehling JM, Drewes RC, Ernst R, Greenbaum E, Gvoždík V, Harvey J, Hillers A, Hirschfeld M, Jongsma GFM, Kielgast J, Kouete MT, Lawson LP, Leaché AD, Loader SP, Lötters S, Meijden AVD, Menegon M, Müller S, Nagy ZT, Ofori-Boateng C, Ohler A, Papenfuss TJ, Rößler D, Sinsch U, Rödel MO, Veith M, Vindum J, Zassi-Boulou AG, McGuire JA. Sexual Dichromatism Drives Diversification within a Major Radiation of African Amphibians. Syst Biol 2020; 68:859-875. [PMID: 31140573 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syz023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Revised: 02/15/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Theory predicts that sexually dimorphic traits under strong sexual selection, particularly those involved with intersexual signaling, can accelerate speciation and produce bursts of diversification. Sexual dichromatism (sexual dimorphism in color) is widely used as a proxy for sexual selection and is associated with rapid diversification in several animal groups, yet studies using phylogenetic comparative methods to explicitly test for an association between sexual dichromatism and diversification have produced conflicting results. Sexual dichromatism is rare in frogs, but it is both striking and prevalent in African reed frogs, a major component of the diverse frog radiation termed Afrobatrachia. In contrast to most other vertebrates, reed frogs display female-biased dichromatism in which females undergo color transformation, often resulting in more ornate coloration in females than in males. We produce a robust phylogeny of Afrobatrachia to investigate the evolutionary origins of sexual dichromatism in this radiation and examine whether the presence of dichromatism is associated with increased rates of net diversification. We find that sexual dichromatism evolved once within hyperoliids and was followed by numerous independent reversals to monochromatism. We detect significant diversification rate heterogeneity in Afrobatrachia and find that sexually dichromatic lineages have double the average net diversification rate of monochromatic lineages. By conducting trait simulations on our empirical phylogeny, we demonstrate that our inference of trait-dependent diversification is robust. Although sexual dichromatism in hyperoliid frogs is linked to their rapid diversification and supports macroevolutionary predictions of speciation by sexual selection, the function of dichromatism in reed frogs remains unclear. We propose that reed frogs are a compelling system for studying the roles of natural and sexual selection on the evolution of sexual dichromatism across micro- and macroevolutionary timescales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel M Portik
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Rayna C Bell
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.,Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560-0162, USA
| | - David C Blackburn
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Aaron M Bauer
- Department of Biology, Villanova University, 800 Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA 19085, USA
| | - Christopher D Barratt
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Basel 4056, Switzerland.,German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig 0413, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig 0413, Germany
| | - William R Branch
- Port Elizabeth Museum, P.O. Box 11347, Humewood 6013, South Africa.,Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, P.O. Box 77000, Port Elizabeth 6031, South Africa
| | - Marius Burger
- African Amphibian Conservation Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa.,Flora Fauna & Man, Ecological Services Ltd. Tortola, British Virgin, Island
| | - Alan Channing
- Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa
| | - Timothy J Colston
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA.,Zoological Natural History Museum, Addis Ababa University, Arat Kilo, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Werner Conradie
- Port Elizabeth Museum, P.O. Box 11347, Humewood 6013, South Africa.,School of Natural Resource Management, Nelson Mandela University, George Campus, George 6530, South Africa
| | - J Maximilian Dehling
- Department of Biology, Institute of Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Universitätsstr. 1, D-56070 Koblenz, Germany
| | - Robert C Drewes
- California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA
| | - Raffael Ernst
- Museum of Zoology, Senckenberg Natural History Collections Dresden, Königsbrücker Landstr. 159, Dresden 01109, Germany.,Department of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, Rothenburgstr. 12, Berlin 12165, Germany
| | - Eli Greenbaum
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA
| | - Václav Gvoždík
- The Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Brno, Czech Republic.,Department of Zoology, National Museum, Prague, Czech Republic
| | | | - Annika Hillers
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Biodiversity Dynamics, Invalidenstr. 43, Berlin 10115, Germany.,Across the River - A Transboundary Peace Park for Sierra Leone and Liberia, The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, 164 Dama Road, Kenema, Sierra Leone
| | - Mareike Hirschfeld
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Biodiversity Dynamics, Invalidenstr. 43, Berlin 10115, Germany
| | - Gregory F M Jongsma
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Jos Kielgast
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark
| | - Marcel T Kouete
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Lucinda P Lawson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, 614 Rieveschl Hall, Cincinnati, OH 45220, USA.,Life Sciences, Field Museum of Natural History, 1400 S. Lake Shore Dr., Chicago, IL 60605, USA
| | - Adam D Leaché
- Department of Biology, Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Simon P Loader
- Life Sciences Department, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Stefan Lötters
- Biogeography Department, Trier University, Universitätsring 15, Trier 54296, Germany
| | - Arie Van Der Meijden
- CIBIO Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, InBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrario de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, No. 7, 4485-661 Vairão, Vila do Conde, Portugal
| | - Michele Menegon
- Tropical Biodiversity Section, Science Museum of Trento, Corso del lavoro e della Scienza 3, Trento 38122, Italy
| | - Susanne Müller
- Biogeography Department, Trier University, Universitätsring 15, Trier 54296, Germany
| | - Zoltán T Nagy
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, OD Taxonomy and Phylogeny, Rue Vautier 29, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Annemarie Ohler
- Département Origines et Evolution, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, UMR 7205 ISYEB, 25 rue Cuvier, Paris 75005, France
| | | | - Daniela Rößler
- Biogeography Department, Trier University, Universitätsring 15, Trier 54296, Germany
| | - Ulrich Sinsch
- Department of Biology, Institute of Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Universitätsstr. 1, D-56070 Koblenz, Germany
| | - Mark-Oliver Rödel
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Biodiversity Dynamics, Invalidenstr. 43, Berlin 10115, Germany
| | - Michael Veith
- Biogeography Department, Trier University, Universitätsring 15, Trier 54296, Germany
| | - Jens Vindum
- California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA
| | - Ange-Ghislain Zassi-Boulou
- Institut National de Recherche en Sciences Exactes et Naturelles, Brazzaville BP 2400, République du Congo
| | - Jimmy A McGuire
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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37
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Yovanovich CAM, Pierotti MER, Kelber A, Jorgewich-Cohen G, Ibáñez R, Grant T. Lens transmittance shapes ultraviolet sensitivity in the eyes of frogs from diverse ecological and phylogenetic backgrounds. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20192253. [PMID: 31910785 PMCID: PMC7003468 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.2253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The amount of short wavelength (ultraviolet (UV), violet and blue) light that reaches the retina depends on the transmittance properties of the ocular media, especially the lens, and varies greatly across species in all vertebrate groups studied previously. We measured the lens transmittance in 32 anuran amphibians with different habits, geographical distributions and phylogenetic positions and used them together with eye size and pupil shape to evaluate the relationship with diel activity pattern, elevation and latitude. We found an unusually high lens UV transmittance in the most basal species, and a cut-off range that extends into the visible spectrum for the rest of the sample, with lenses even absorbing violet light in some diurnal species. However, other diurnal frogs had lenses that transmit UV light like the nocturnal species. This unclear pattern in the segregation of ocular media transmittance and diel activity is shared with other vertebrates and is consistent with the absence of significant correlations in our statistical analyses. Although we did not detect a significant phylogenetic effect, closely related species tend to have similar transmittances, irrespective of whether they share the same diel pattern or not, suggesting that anuran ocular media transmittance properties might be related to phylogeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carola A M Yovanovich
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Michele E R Pierotti
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - Almut Kelber
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Roberto Ibáñez
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - Taran Grant
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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38
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Musilova Z, Cortesi F, Matschiner M, Davies WIL, Patel JS, Stieb SM, de Busserolles F, Malmstrøm M, Tørresen OK, Brown CJ, Mountford JK, Hanel R, Stenkamp DL, Jakobsen KS, Carleton KL, Jentoft S, Marshall J, Salzburger W. Vision using multiple distinct rod opsins in deep-sea fishes. Science 2019; 364:588-592. [PMID: 31073066 DOI: 10.1126/science.aav4632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Vertebrate vision is accomplished through light-sensitive photopigments consisting of an opsin protein bound to a chromophore. In dim light, vertebrates generally rely on a single rod opsin [rhodopsin 1 (RH1)] for obtaining visual information. By inspecting 101 fish genomes, we found that three deep-sea teleost lineages have independently expanded their RH1 gene repertoires. Among these, the silver spinyfin (Diretmus argenteus) stands out as having the highest number of visual opsins in vertebrates (two cone opsins and 38 rod opsins). Spinyfins express up to 14 RH1s (including the most blueshifted rod photopigments known), which cover the range of the residual daylight as well as the bioluminescence spectrum present in the deep sea. Our findings present molecular and functional evidence for the recurrent evolution of multiple rod opsin-based vision in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuzana Musilova
- Zoological Institute, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. .,Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Fabio Cortesi
- Zoological Institute, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. .,Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Michael Matschiner
- Zoological Institute, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,Department of Palaeontology and Museum, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Wayne I L Davies
- UWA Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.,School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.,Lions Eye Institute, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.,Oceans Graduate School, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Jagdish Suresh Patel
- Center for Modeling Complex Interactions, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
| | - Sara M Stieb
- Zoological Institute, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Center for Ecology, Evolution and Biogeochemistry, Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (EAWAG), Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
| | - Fanny de Busserolles
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Martin Malmstrøm
- Zoological Institute, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.,Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ole K Tørresen
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Celeste J Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
| | - Jessica K Mountford
- UWA Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.,School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.,Lions Eye Institute, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Reinhold Hanel
- Thünen Institute of Fisheries Ecology, Bremerhaven, Germany
| | | | - Kjetill S Jakobsen
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Karen L Carleton
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Sissel Jentoft
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Justin Marshall
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Walter Salzburger
- Zoological Institute, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. .,Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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39
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Thoreson WB, Dacey DM. Diverse Cell Types, Circuits, and Mechanisms for Color Vision in the Vertebrate Retina. Physiol Rev 2019; 99:1527-1573. [PMID: 31140374 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00027.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Synaptic interactions to extract information about wavelength, and thus color, begin in the vertebrate retina with three classes of light-sensitive cells: rod photoreceptors at low light levels, multiple types of cone photoreceptors that vary in spectral sensitivity, and intrinsically photosensitive ganglion cells that contain the photopigment melanopsin. When isolated from its neighbors, a photoreceptor confounds photon flux with wavelength and so by itself provides no information about color. The retina has evolved elaborate color opponent circuitry for extracting wavelength information by comparing the activities of different photoreceptor types broadly tuned to different parts of the visible spectrum. We review studies concerning the circuit mechanisms mediating opponent interactions in a range of species, from tetrachromatic fish with diverse color opponent cell types to common dichromatic mammals where cone opponency is restricted to a subset of specialized circuits. Distinct among mammals, primates have reinvented trichromatic color vision using novel strategies to incorporate evolution of an additional photopigment gene into the foveal structure and circuitry that supports high-resolution vision. Color vision is absent at scotopic light levels when only rods are active, but rods interact with cone signals to influence color perception at mesopic light levels. Recent evidence suggests melanopsin-mediated signals, which have been identified as a substrate for setting circadian rhythms, may also influence color perception. We consider circuits that may mediate these interactions. While cone opponency is a relatively simple neural computation, it has been implemented in vertebrates by diverse neural mechanisms that are not yet fully understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wallace B Thoreson
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Truhlsen Eye Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center , Omaha, Nebraska ; and Department of Biological Structure, Washington National Primate Research Center, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington
| | - Dennis M Dacey
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Truhlsen Eye Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center , Omaha, Nebraska ; and Department of Biological Structure, Washington National Primate Research Center, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington
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40
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Abstract
The jawless fish that were ancestral to all living vertebrates had four spectral cone types that were probably served by chromatic-opponent retinal circuits. Subsequent evolution of photoreceptor spectral sensitivities is documented for many vertebrate lineages, giving insight into the ecological adaptation of color vision. Beyond the photoreceptors, retinal color processing is best understood in mammals, especially the blueON system, which opposes short- against long-wavelength receptor responses. For other vertebrates that often have three or four types of cone pigment, new findings from zebrafish are extending older work on teleost fish and reptiles to reveal rich color circuitry. Here, horizontal cells establish diverse and complex spectral responses even in photoreceptor outputs. Cone-selective connections to bipolar cells then set up color-opponent synaptic layers in the inner retina, which lead to a large variety of color-opponent channels for transmission to the brain via retinal ganglion cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Baden
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, BN1 9QG Brighton, United Kingdom; ,
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - D Osorio
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, BN1 9QG Brighton, United Kingdom; ,
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41
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42
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Luehrmann M, Carleton KL, Cortesi F, Cheney KL, Marshall NJ. Cardinalfishes (Apogonidae) show visual system adaptations typical of nocturnally and diurnally active fish. Mol Ecol 2019; 28:3025-3041. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.15102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2018] [Revised: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Martin Luehrmann
- Sensory Neurobiology Group, Queensland Brain Institute The University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia
| | | | - Fabio Cortesi
- Sensory Neurobiology Group, Queensland Brain Institute The University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia
| | - Karen L. Cheney
- Sensory Neurobiology Group, Queensland Brain Institute The University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia
- School of Biological Sciences The University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia
| | - N. Justin Marshall
- Sensory Neurobiology Group, Queensland Brain Institute The University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia
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43
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Goutte S, Mason MJ, Antoniazzi MM, Jared C, Merle D, Cazes L, Toledo LF, El-Hafci H, Pallu S, Portier H, Schramm S, Gueriau P, Thoury M. Intense bone fluorescence reveals hidden patterns in pumpkin toadlets. Sci Rep 2019; 9:5388. [PMID: 30926879 PMCID: PMC6441030 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41959-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The phenomenon of fluorescence can be used by animals to change effective colouration or patterning, potentially to serve functions including intra- and interspecific signalling. Initially believed to be restricted to marine animals, fluorescent colours are now being described in an increasing number of terrestrial species. Here, we describe unique, highly fluorescent patterns in two species of pumpkin toadlets (Brachycephalus ephippium and B. pitanga). We establish that the origin of the fluorescence lies in the dermal bone of the head and back, visible through a particularly thin skin. By comparing them to those of the closely related species Ischnocnema parva, we demonstrate that pumpkin toadlets' bones are exceptionally fluorescent. We characterize the luminescence properties of the toadlets' bones and discuss the potential function of fluorescent patterns in natural lighting conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Goutte
- Laboratório de História Natural de Anfíbios Brasileiros (LaHNAB), Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, 13083-862, Brazil. .,New York University Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Matthew J Mason
- Department of Physiology, Development & Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EG, United Kingdom
| | - Marta M Antoniazzi
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Carlos Jared
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Didier Merle
- Sorbonne Universités, CR2P (CNRS, MNHN, UPMC), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle. CP38, 8, rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Lilian Cazes
- Sorbonne Universités, CR2P (CNRS, MNHN, UPMC), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle. CP38, 8, rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Luís Felipe Toledo
- Laboratório de História Natural de Anfíbios Brasileiros (LaHNAB), Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, 13083-862, Brazil
| | - Hanane El-Hafci
- B2OA UMR 7052, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, CNRS, F-75010, Paris, France.,B2OA UMR 7052, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Université Paris-Est, F- 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France.,COST, Université d'Orléans, 45100, Orléans, France
| | - Stéphane Pallu
- B2OA UMR 7052, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, CNRS, F-75010, Paris, France.,B2OA UMR 7052, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Université Paris-Est, F- 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France.,COST, Université d'Orléans, 45100, Orléans, France
| | - Hugues Portier
- B2OA UMR 7052, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, CNRS, F-75010, Paris, France.,B2OA UMR 7052, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Université Paris-Est, F- 94700, Maisons-Alfort, France.,COST, Université d'Orléans, 45100, Orléans, France
| | - Stefan Schramm
- New York University Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Pierre Gueriau
- IPANEMA, CNRS, ministère de la Culture; UVSQ, USR 3461, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91192, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.,Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Lausanne, Géopolis, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Mathieu Thoury
- IPANEMA, CNRS, ministère de la Culture; UVSQ, USR 3461, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91192, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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44
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Henrique RS, Grant T. Influence of Environmental Factors on Short-Term Movements of Butter Frogs (Leptodactylus latrans). HERPETOLOGICA 2019. [DOI: 10.1655/d-18-00018.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rafael S. Henrique
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Biosciences, University of Sa˜o Paulo, Sa˜o Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Taran Grant
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Biosciences, University of Sa˜o Paulo, Sa˜o Paulo, SP, Brazil
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45
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Yovanovich CAM, Grant T, Kelber A. Differences in ocular media transmittance among classical frog model species and its impact on visual sensitivity. J Exp Biol 2019; 222:jeb.204271. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.204271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The transmittance properties of the cornea, lens and humours of vertebrates determine how much light across the visible spectrum reaches the retina, influencing sensitivity to visual stimuli. Amphibians are the only vertebrate class in which the light transmittance of these ocular media have not been thoroughly characterised, preventing large-scale comparative studies and precise quantification of visual stimuli in physiological and behavioural experiments. We measured the ocular media transmittance in some commonly used species of amphibians (the bufonids Bufo bufo and Rhinella ornata and the ranids Lithobates catesbeianus and Rana temporaria) and found low transmittance of short wavelength light, with ranids having less transmissive ocular media than bufonids. Our analyses also show that these transmittance properties have a considerable impact on photoreceptor spectral sensitivity, highlighting the need to incorporate this type of measurements into the design of stimuli for experiments on visual function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carola A. M. Yovanovich
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, Rua do Matão 101, SP 05508-090, Brazil
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, Lund 22362, Sweden
| | - Taran Grant
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, Rua do Matão 101, SP 05508-090, Brazil
| | - Almut Kelber
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, Lund 22362, Sweden
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46
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Starnberger I, Maier PM, Hödl W, Preininger D. Multimodal Signal Testing Reveals Gestural Tapping Behavior in Spotted Reed Frogs. HERPETOLOGICA 2018; 74:127-134. [PMID: 30078848 DOI: 10.1655/herpetologica-d-17-00053.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In the majority of anuran species, acoustic signals are the dominant mode of inter- and intrasexual communication. Male calls are always accompanied by the movement of a more or less conspicuous vocal sac-a potential visual cue. Reed frogs possess a striking vocal sac with a colorful patch of gland tissue clearly visible once the vocal sac is inflated during acoustic signaling. To investigate the visual signal function of vocal sac and gular gland, we presented male Spotted Reed Frogs (Hyperolius puncticulatus) with unimodal and multimodal signal playbacks of conspecific rivals in their natural habitat and recorded their behavioral responses. We found no difference in receiver response to unimodal advertisement call stimuli and to multimodal stimulus presentations of calls combined with visual signals of an artificial vocal sac with or without a gular patch, moving synchronously or asynchronously with the call playback. The inflations of a vocal sac with a colorful gular patch did not alter receiver response and neither increase nor decrease signal salience during male-male communication. Interestingly, males frequently displayed a novel hind and front foot-tapping behavior in response to all playbacks. Comparison of male responses to advertisement and aggressive call playbacks showed that Spotted Reed Frogs approached the sound source less during aggressive call presentations. Tapping behavior was not influenced by either call playback. We suggest that the gestural tapping behavior might act as vibrational signal and discuss its potential signal function in male contests and courtship for females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Starnberger
- Department of Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090 Wien, Austria
| | - Philipp Martin Maier
- Department of Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090 Wien, Austria
| | - Walter Hödl
- Department of Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090 Wien, Austria
| | - Doris Preininger
- Department of Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090 Wien, Austria
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47
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O'Carroll DC, Warrant EJ. Vision in dim light: highlights and challenges. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 372:rstb.2016.0062. [PMID: 28193807 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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48
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Kelber A, Yovanovich C, Olsson P. Thresholds and noise limitations of colour vision in dim light. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 372:rstb.2016.0065. [PMID: 28193810 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Colour discrimination is based on opponent photoreceptor interactions, and limited by receptor noise. In dim light, photon shot noise impairs colour vision, and in vertebrates, the absolute threshold of colour vision is set by dark noise in cones. Nocturnal insects (e.g. moths and nocturnal bees) and vertebrates lacking rods (geckos) have adaptations to reduce receptor noise and use chromatic vision even in very dim light. In contrast, vertebrates with duplex retinae use colour-blind rod vision when noisy cone signals become unreliable, and their transition from cone- to rod-based vision is marked by the Purkinje shift. Rod-cone interactions have not been shown to improve colour vision in dim light, but may contribute to colour vision in mesopic light intensities. Frogs and toads that have two types of rods use opponent signals from these rods to control phototaxis even at their visual threshold. However, for tasks such as prey or mate choice, their colour discrimination abilities fail at brighter light intensities, similar to other vertebrates, probably limited by the dark noise in cones.This article is part of the themed issue 'Vision in dim light'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Almut Kelber
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, 22362 Lund, Sweden
| | - Carola Yovanovich
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, 22362 Lund, Sweden
| | - Peter Olsson
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, 22362 Lund, Sweden
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49
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Akopyan M, Kaiser K, Vega A, Savant NG, Owen CY, Dudgeon SR, Robertson JM. Melodic males and flashy females: Geographic variation in male and female reproductive behavior in red-eyed treefrogs (Agalychnis callidryas
). Ethology 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Akopyan
- Department of Biology; California State University; Northridge CA USA
| | - Kristine Kaiser
- Department of Biology; California State University; Northridge CA USA
- Department of Biology; Pomona College; Claremont CA USA
| | | | - Neha G. Savant
- Department of Biology; Pomona College; Claremont CA USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology; Columbia University; New York NY USA
| | | | - Steven R. Dudgeon
- Department of Biology; California State University; Northridge CA USA
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50
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Olsson P, Lind O, Kelber A. Chromatic and achromatic vision: parameter choice and limitations for reliable model predictions. Behav Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Peter Olsson
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Olle Lind
- Department of Philosophy, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Almut Kelber
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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