Eye and vision in the subterranean rodent cururo (Spalacopus cyanus, octodontidae)

Peichl, Leo; Chávez, Andrés E.; Ocampo, Adrian; Mena, Wilson; Bozinovic, Francisco; Palacios, Adrián

doi:10.1002/cne.20491

Cited by 54 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…3E) [Sterling & Richard, 1995;Delbarco-Trillo et al, 2011]. Such marks are normally conceived as olfactory signals, but the possibility that S-opsin pigments can facilitate the visual detection of urine is an active area of research [Chávez et al, 2003;Kellie et al, 2004;Peichl et al, 2005].…”

Section: Why Aye-ayes See Bluementioning

confidence: 99%

Why Aye‐Ayes See Blue

Melin

Moritz

Fosbury

et al. 2012

American J Primatol

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The capacity for cone-mediated color vision varies among nocturnal primates. Some species are colorblind, having lost the functionality of their short-wavelength-sensitive-1 (SWS1) opsin pigment gene. In other species, such as the aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis), the SWS1 gene remains intact. Recent studies focused on aye-ayes indicate that this gene has been maintained by natural selection and that the pigment has a peak sensitivity (lambda(max)) of 406 nm, which is -20 nm closer to the ultraviolet region of the spectrum than in most primates. The functional significance behind the retention and unusual lambda(max) of this opsin pigment is unknown, and it is perplexing given that all mammals are presumed to be colorblind in the dark. Here we comment on this puzzle and discuss recent findings on the color vision intensity thresholds of terrestrial vertebrates with comparable optics to aye-ayes. We draw attention to the twilight activities of aye-ayes and report that twilight is enriched in short-wavelength (bluish) light. We also show that the intensity of twilight and full moonlight is probably sufficient to support cone-mediated color vision. We speculate that the intact SWS1 opsin pigment gene of aye-ayes is a crepuscular adaptation and we report on the blueness of potential visual targets, such as scent marks and the brilliant blue arils of Ravenala madagascariensis.

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Section: Why Aye-ayes See Bluementioning

confidence: 99%

Why Aye‐Ayes See Blue

Melin

Moritz

Fosbury

et al. 2012

American J Primatol

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“…The procedures, the optical system, and the electroretinogram (ERG) system have been described previously (Chavez et al, 2003;Peichl et al, 2005). The ERG was recorded under photopic conditions.…”

Section: Spectral Transmission Of Eye Media and Retinal Spectral Sensmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Both Thomomys bottae (pocket gopher, family Geomyidae) and Spalacopus cyanus (cururo, family Octodontidae) possess fully functional eyes with sizes within the normal rodent range, clear optics, and a retina conforming to the normal mammalian plan (Williams et al, 2005;Peichl et al, 2005).…”

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confidence: 99%

Retinal photoreceptors of two subterranean tuco‐tuco species (Rodentia, Ctenomys): Morphology, topography, and spectral sensitivity

Schleich

Vielma

Glösmann

et al. 2010

J of Comparative Neurology

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Traditionally, vision was thought to be useless for animals living in dark underground habitats, but recent studies in a range of subterranean rodent species have shown a large diversity of eye features, from small subcutaneous eyes to normal-sized functional eyes. We analyzed the retinal photoreceptors in the subterranean hystricomorph rodents Ctenomys talarum and Ctenomys magellanicus to elucidate whether adaptation was to their near-lightless burrows or rather to their occasional diurnal surface activity. Both species had normally developed eyes. Overall photoreceptor densities were comparatively low (95,000-150,000/mm(2) in C. magellanicus, 110,000-200,000/mm(2) in C. talarum), and cone proportions were rather high (10-31% and 14-31%, respectively). The majority of cones expressed the middle-to-longwave-sensitive (L) opsin, and a 6-16% minority expressed the shortwave-sensitive (S) opsin. In both species the densities of L and S cones were higher in ventral than in dorsal retina. In both species the tuning-relevant amino acids of the S opsin indicate sensitivity in the near UV rather than the blue/violet range. Photopic spectral electroretinograms were recorded. Unexpectedly, their sensitivity profiles were best fitted by the linear summation of three visual pigment templates with lambda(max) at 370 nm (S pigment, UV), at 510 nm (L pigment), and at 450 nm (an as-yet unexplained mechanism). Avoiding predators and selecting food during the brief aboveground excursions may have exerted pressure to retain robust cone-based vision in Ctenomys. UV tuning of the S cone pigment is shared with a number of other hystricomorphs.

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“…Comparative studies of mammalian retinas may help to understand the evolutionary adaptations among the various mammalian species [e.g., Ahnelt and Kolb, 2000;Peichl, 2005;Schiviz et al, 2008]. Besides the primates that are of obvious interest for humans, animals with extreme specializations have always attracted the curiosity/interest of researchers [e.g., Peichl et al, 2001Peichl et al, , 2005. In this context, the retina of elephants is a fascinating subject.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Retina of Asian and African Elephants: Comparison of Newborn and Adult

Kuhrt¹,

Bringmann²,

Härtig³

et al. 2017

Brain Behav Evol

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Elephants are precocial mammals that are relatively mature as newborns and mobile shortly after birth. To determine whether the retina of newborn elephants is capable of supporting the mobility of elephant calves, we compared the retinal structures of 2 newborn elephants (1 African and 1 Asian) and 2 adult animals of both species by immunohistochemical and morphometric methods. For the first time, we present here a comprehensive qualitative and quantitative characterization of the cellular composition of the newborn and the adult retinas of 2 elephant species. We found that the retina of elephants is relatively mature at birth. All retinal layers were well discernible, and various retinal cell types were detected in the newborns, including Müller glial cells (expressing glutamine synthetase and cellular retinal binding protein; CRALBP), cone photoreceptors (expressing S-opsin or M/L-opsin), protein kinase Cα-expressing bipolar cells, tyrosine hydroxylase-, choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)-, calbindin-, and calretinin-expressing amacrine cells, and calbindin-expressing horizontal cells. The retina of newborn elephants contains discrete horizontal cells which coexpress ChAT, calbindin, and calretinin. While the overall structure of the retina is very similar between newborn and adult elephants, various parameters change after birth. The postnatal thickening of the retinal ganglion cell axons and the increase in ganglion cell soma size are explained by the increase in body size after birth, and the decreases in the densities of neuronal and glial cells are explained by the postnatal expansion of the retinal surface area. The expression of glutamine synthetase and CRALBP in the Müller cells of newborn elephants suggests that the cells are already capable of supporting the activities of photoreceptors and neurons. As a peculiarity, the elephant retina contains both normally located and displaced giant ganglion cells, with single cells reaching a diameter of more than 50 µm in adults and therefore being almost in the range of giant retinal ganglion cells found in aquatic mammals. Some of these ganglion cells are displaced into the inner nuclear layer, a unique feature of terrestrial mammals. For the first time, we describe here the occurrence of many bistratified rod bipolar cells in the elephant retina. These bistratified bipolar cells may improve nocturnal contrast perception in elephants given their arrhythmic lifestyle.

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Eye and vision in the subterranean rodent cururo (Spalacopus cyanus, octodontidae)

Cited by 54 publications

References 41 publications

Why Aye‐Ayes See Blue

Why Aye‐Ayes See Blue

Retinal photoreceptors of two subterranean tuco‐tuco species (Rodentia, Ctenomys): Morphology, topography, and spectral sensitivity

The Retina of Asian and African Elephants: Comparison of Newborn and Adult

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