95-8 Sat Jan 2 Ocular transmission across frog and toad diversity Thomas, KN*; Gower, DJ; Streicher, JW; Bell, RC; Fujita, MK; Schott, RK; Douglas, RH; The Natural History Museum, London; The Natural History Museum, London; The Natural History Museum, London; California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, CA and National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC; The University of Texas at Arlington; York University, Toronto; City, University of London kate.thomas@nhm.ac.uk
Frogs and toads (Amphibia: Anura) exhibit high ecological and behavioral diversity, and species adapted to diverse habitats and lifestyles likely have different visual priorities. One way that eyes vary across species and ecology is in the spectral transmission of the lens. Light from the environment must pass through the ocular media of an eye before it reaches the retina. Animal lenses are typically transparent at longer wavelengths of the visible spectrum, but some lenses have pigments that absorb short wavelengths before they reach the retina. While this precludes sensitivity to UV light and reduces absolute sensitivity, it can protect the retina from UV damage and improve spatial acuity by reducing chromatic aberration and Rayleigh scatter. Anurans are known to show variation in the short-wavelength transmission of lenses across some species; however, ecological correlates and causes of these patterns are unclear. We measured spectral transmission (300–700nm) of lenses from 129 individuals belonging to 89 anuran species with diverse lifestyles. We then used phylogenetic comparative methods to test for correlations between short-wavelength transmission and adult habitat, reproductive ecology, and activity pattern. We discuss the role ecology may play in driving the evolution of ocular transmission in anurans, and how amphibians compare to other vertebrates.
