BRISCOE, A.D.; University of California, Irvine: Evolution of Color Vision: Butterflies as a Model The visual pigments (rhodopsins) of invertebrate photoreceptor cells are composed of a light-sensitive retinaldehyde chromophore attached to a membrane-bound opsin protein. Surveys of spectral sensitivity measurements, visual pigment spectra and opsin gene sequences indicate that all butterfly eyes, like those of […]
year: 2003
Evolution of Color Communication in Percid Fishes A Role for Sensory Bias
LAWRENCE, Karen A; STRANGE, Rex Meade; Southeast Missouri State University; Southeast Missouri State University: Evolution of Color Communication in Percid Fishes: A Role for Sensory Bias? Color plays an important role in communicating male aggression and in courtship behavior in darters. However, it is unknown whether color vision played a role in the evolution of […]
Descending visual control in Manduca Sexta
SPRAYBERRY, J.D.H.; University of Washington: Descending visual control in Manduca Sexta Animal flight is controlled by a feedback system in which sensory information is processed to modify patterns of motor output. Motor ouput, in turn, moves the animal, changes the flow of sensory information, and closes the feedback loop. How sensory information is filtered and […]
Butterfly Eye Structure Measurement Error vs Differences Among Individuals, Sexes, and Species
MERRY, J.W.*; RUTOWSKI, R.L.; Arizona State University; Arizona State University: Butterfly Eye Structure: Measurement Error vs. Differences Among Individuals, Sexes, and Species Interspecific variation in eye structure in insects has traditionally been explained as an adaptive product of differences in habitat and behavior between species. However, prerequisites for adaptive evolution (interindividual variation, trait heritability, and […]
Bio-optics and Visual Ecology of Heliconius Color Patterns
SWEENEY, A*; JIGGINS, C; JOHNSEN, S; Duke University; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute; Duke University: Bio-optics and Visual Ecology of Heliconius Color Patterns An astonishing diversity of wing color patterns exists in the genus Heliconius. These buttterflies are also a classic example of Mullerian mimicry. Although some genetic models invoke drift, fixation and reinforcement, questions about […]
Anatomical Correlates of Activity Pattern in Birds
HALL, MI; Stony Brook University, New York: Anatomical Correlates of Activity Pattern in Birds Activity pattern often involves extremes of light availability to which visually dependent animals must adapt. There is evidence that dependence on photopic (plentiful light) and scotopic (low light) conditions markedly impact the gross anatomy of the eye and orbit. However, it […]
Adaptation of Wide-Field Movement Detecting Neurons in Hoverflies Produces Velocity Constancy to Natural Scenes
STRAW, Andrew D.; O’CARROLL, David C.; University of Adelaide, Australia; University of Adelaide, Australia: Adaptation of Wide-Field Movement Detecting Neurons in Hoverflies Produces Velocity Constancy to Natural Scenes Adaptation is a ubiquitous phenomenon of sensory neurons in which the initial response is altered by prolonged exposure to a stimulus. Adaptation emphasizes changes in an animal’s […]
Talking to fireflies Recruiting the next generation of firefly biologists
DOALL, M.; CARLSON, A.D.; State University of New York at Stony Brook; State University of New York at Stony Brook: Talking to fireflies: Recruiting the next generation of firefly biologists What is it about fireflies that make them beautiful and fascinating? It is their flashes, of course. Whereas butterflies have colorful patterns that lend themselves […]
Fireflies as a Catalyst for Science Education
FAUST, L.; Knoxville, TN: Fireflies as a Catalyst for Science Education Fireflies can be the focus of an effective program to teach the public about insect behavior and bioluminescence. Photinus carolinus, a synchronously flashing species of firefly, is found at high elevations in the southern Appalachian mountains. In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, they produce […]
