Visual pigments and spectral sensitivity of the diurnal gecko Gonatodes albogularis

Ellingson, Jarrod M.; Fleishman, Leo J.; Loew, Ellis R.

doi:10.1007/bf00207185

Cited by 72 publications

(67 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…Thus, we expected to discover atypical visual features in our two study species inhabiting contrasting habitats. However, common and wall lizards had visual properties of their retina similar to those seen in most diurnal lizards investigated so far (Barbour et al, 2002;Bowmaker et al, 2005;Ellingson et al, 1995;Fleishman et al, 2011;Loew, 1994;Loew et al, 2002;Macedonia et al, 2009). Interestingly, the visual system of Z. vivipara also presented some atypical features.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 55%

The importance of short and near infrared wavelength sensitivity for visual discrimination in two species of lacertid lizards

Martín¹,

Galliard

Meylan

et al. 2014

Journal of Experimental Biology

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Male and female Lacertid lizards often display conspicuous coloration that is involved in intraspecific communication. However, visual systems of Lacertidae have rarely been studied and the spectral sensitivity of their retinal photoreceptors remains unknown. Here, we characterise the spectral sensitivity of two Lacertid species from contrasting habitats: the wall lizard Podarcis muralis and the common lizard Zootoca vivipara. Both species possess a pure-cone retina with one spectral class of double cones and four spectral classes of single cones. The two species differ in the spectral sensitivity of the LWS cones, the relative abundance of UVS single cones (potentially more abundant in Z. vivipara) and the coloration of oil droplets. Wall lizards have pure vitamin A1-based photopigments, whereas common lizards possess mixed vitamin A1 and A2 photopigments, extending spectral sensitivity into the near infrared, which is a rare feature in terrestrial vertebrates. We found that spectral sensitivity in the UV and near infrared improves discrimination of small variations in throat coloration among Z. vivipara. Thus, retinal specialisations optimise chromatic resolution in common lizards, indicating that the visual system and visual signals might co-evolve.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 55%

The importance of short and near infrared wavelength sensitivity for visual discrimination in two species of lacertid lizards

Martín¹,

Galliard

Meylan

et al. 2014

Journal of Experimental Biology

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“…Current evidence suggests that all diurnal lizards share a highly conserved, ancestral pattern of four spectrally distinct cone classes, suggesting tetrachromatic colour vision, with ultraviolet-sensitive (UVS) (364-383 nm), shortwavelength-sensitive (SWS) (440-467 nm), medium-wavelengthsensitive (MWS) (483-501 nm) and long-wavelength-sensitive (LWS) (560-625 nm) visual pigments, as displayed by all studied species of Iguanids and the sole studied species of Cordylid Platysaurus broadleyi (Bowmaker et al, 2005;Loew et al, 2002;Macedonia et al, 2009). Because of their nocturnal ancestry, geckos and snakes have only three classes of photoreceptor (Davies et al, 2009;Ellingson et al, 1995;Fleishman et al, 2011;Hart et al, 2012;Loew et al, 1996;Olsson et al, 2013;Sillman et al, 1999). Ctenophorus decresii belongs to the family Agamidae for which spectral sensitivity data is only available for one species, the congeneric ornate dragon lizard Ctenophorus ornatus.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spectral sensitivity of cone photoreceptors and opsin expression in two colour-divergent lineages of the lizardCtenophorus decresii

Yewers

McLean

Moussalli

et al. 2015

Journal of Experimental Biology

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Intraspecific differences in sensory perception are rarely reported but may occur when a species range extends across varying sensory environments, or there is coevolution between the sensory system and a varying signal. Examples in colour vision and colour signals are rare in terrestrial systems. The tawny dragon lizard Ctenophorus decresii is a promising candidate for such intraspecific variation, because the species comprises two geographically and genetically distinct lineages in which throat colour (a social signal used in intra-and inter-specific interactions) is locally adapted to the habitat and differs between lineages. Male lizards from the southern lineage have UV-blue throats, whereas males from the northern lineage are polymorphic with four discrete throat colours that all show minimal UV reflectance. Here, we determine the cone photoreceptor spectral sensitivities and opsin expression of the two lineages, to test whether they differ, particularly in the UV wavelengths. Using microspectrophotometry on retinal cone photoreceptors, we identified a long-wavelength-sensitive (LWS) visual pigment, a 'short' and 'long' medium-wavelength-sensitive (MWS) pigment and a short-wavelength-sensitive (SWS) pigment, all of which did not differ in λ max between lineages. Through transcriptome analysis of opsin genes we found that both lineages express four cone opsin genes, including the SWS1 opsin with peak sensitivity in the UV range, and that amino acid sequences did not differ between lineages with the exception of a single leucine to valine substitution in the RH2 opsin. Counts of yellow and transparent oil droplets associated with LWS+MWS and SWS+UVS cones, respectively, showed no difference in relative cone proportions between lineages. Therefore, contrary to predictions, we find no evidence of differences between lineages in single cone photoreceptor spectral sensitivity or opsin expression. However, we confirm the presence of four single cone classes, suggesting tetrachromacy in C. decresii, and we also provide the first evidence of UV sensitivity in agamid lizards.

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“…Future studies that focus on diurnal lizards from multiple clades outside the Iguania that depend less on vision and more on olfaction will be of great interest. The ERG relative sensitivity curve arises from the summed retinal response of all photoreceptors types, weighted by their relative densities [3,29,45]. In regions of the spectrum where photoreceptor sensitivities overlap, it is difficult to discern the relative input of the different classes to the summed output.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High sensitivity to short wavelengths in a lizard and implications for understanding the evolution of visual systems in lizards

2011

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Progress in developing animal communication theory is frequently constrained by a poor understanding of sensory systems. For example, while lizards have been the focus of numerous studies in visual signalling, we only have data on the spectral sensitivities of a few species clustered in two major clades (Iguania and Gekkota). Using electroretinography and microspectrophotometry, we studied the visual system of the cordylid lizard Platysaurus broadleyi because it represents an unstudied clade (Scinciformata) with respect to visual systems and because UV signals feature prominently in its social behaviour. The retina possessed four classes of single and one class of double cones. Sensitivity in the ultraviolet region (UV) was approximately three times higher than previously reported for other lizards. We found more colourless oil droplets (associated with UV-sensitive (UVS) and short wavelength-sensitive (SWS) photoreceptors), suggesting that the increased sensitivity was owing to the presence of more UVS photoreceptors. Using the Vorobyev -Osorio colour discrimination model, we demonstrated that an increase in the number of UVS photoreceptors significantly enhances a lizard's ability to discriminate conspecific male throat colours. Visual systems in diurnal lizards appear to be broadly conserved, but data from additional clades are needed to confirm this.

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Visual pigments and spectral sensitivity of the diurnal gecko Gonatodes albogularis

Cited by 72 publications

References 10 publications

The importance of short and near infrared wavelength sensitivity for visual discrimination in two species of lacertid lizards

The importance of short and near infrared wavelength sensitivity for visual discrimination in two species of lacertid lizards

Spectral sensitivity of cone photoreceptors and opsin expression in two colour-divergent lineages of the lizardCtenophorus decresii

High sensitivity to short wavelengths in a lizard and implications for understanding the evolution of visual systems in lizards

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