Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Conservation of Declining Populations02:07

Conservation of Declining Populations

Conservation of declining population focuses on ways of detecting, diagnosing, and halting a population decline. The approach uses methods to prevent populations from going extinct.
Mate Choice01:20

Mate Choice

Mate choice—the decision about whom to mate with—is a type of natural selection, since animals must reproduce to pass down their genes. Mate choice is also called intersexual selection because the behavior occurs between the sexes.
Multi-species Conserved Sequences02:51

Multi-species Conserved Sequences

Next-generation sequencing technologies have created large genomic databases of a variety of animals and plants. Ever since the human genome project was completed, scientists studied the genome of primates, mammals, and other phylogenetically distant living beings. Such large-scale  studies have provided new insights into the evolutionary relationship between organisms.
Although the genome of each species varies greatly from each other, a few sequences are highly conserved. Such conserved DNA...
Types of Selection01:46

Types of Selection

Natural selection influences the frequencies of particular alleles and phenotypes within populations in several different ways. Primarily, natural selection can be directional, stabilizing, or disruptive. Directional selection favors one extreme trait and shifts the population towards that phenotype while selecting against individuals displaying alternate traits. Stabilizing selection favors an intermediate trait with a narrow range of variation. Deviation from the optimal phenotype towards an...
Limits to Natural Selection01:38

Limits to Natural Selection

Organisms that are well-adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. However, natural selection does not lead to perfectly adapted organisms. Several factors constrain natural selection.For one, natural selection can only act upon existing genetic variation. Hypothetically, redtusks may enhance elephant survival by deterring ivory-seeking poachers. However, if there are no gene variants—or alleles—for redtusks, natural selection cannot increase the prevalence of...
Convergent Evolution01:54

Convergent Evolution

Evolution shapes the features of organisms over time, ensuring that they are suited for the environments in which they live. Sometimes, selection pressure leads to the rise of similar but unrelated adaptations in organisms with no recent common ancestors, a process known as convergent evolution.The structures that arise from convergent evolution are called analogous structures. They are similar in function even if they are dissimilar in structure. Further, structures can be analogous while also...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Macronutrient mixtures and interactions in health and disease.

Nature reviews. Endocrinology·2026
Same author

Rethinking fussiness in commercial food contexts.

Health promotion international·2026
Same author

An appetite for protein.

Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
Same author

Effect of Branched-Chain Amino Acid Supplementation Alone or Combined With Tryptophan or Methionine on Appetite Control and Related Health Outcomes in Older Adults: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

JMIR research protocols·2026
Same author

Protein Decoys, Alcohol, and Energy Intake: Testing a Mechanistic-Ecological Model.

Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity·2026
Same author

Examining widely held propositions on human dietary protein needs and benefits: a critical review of the science that shapes both the data and our understanding of an essential macronutrient.

Critical reviews in food science and nutrition·2026
Same journal

Computational and mathematical models in vision: Quantitative approaches to understanding visual perception.

Vision research·2026
Same journal

Complex interactions between lightness, chroma, and hue in color ensemble perception.

Vision research·2026
Same journal

Driving with autism spectrum disorder: Exploring the impact of tactile hazard warnings on gaze behavior and hazard responses.

Vision research·2026
Same journal

Early visual processing in adults with ADHD: evidence from contrast sensitivity, spatial integration, and external noise.

Vision research·2026
Same journal

Pupil reflexes generate the peripheral drift illusion due to ON/OFF motion responses.

Vision research·2026
Same journal

Perceived direction of glass patterns can flip by 90°: A neural model.

Vision research·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 2, 2026

Assays to Detect UV-reflecting Structures and Determine their Importance in Mate Preference using the Sailfin Molly Poecilia latipinna
06:41

Assays to Detect UV-reflecting Structures and Determine their Importance in Mate Preference using the Sailfin Molly Poecilia latipinna

Published on: September 14, 2016

UVS is rare in seabirds.

Gabriel E Machovsky Capuska1, Leon Huynen, David Lambert

  • 1Nutritional Ecology Research Group, Institute of Natural Sciences, Massey University, North Shore MSC, Auckland, New Zealand. g.machovsky@massey.ac.nz

Vision Research
|April 30, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Ultraviolet-sensitive vision (UVS) is common in birds, but its presence in seabirds is less understood. This study found UVS in gulls but ancestral violet-sensitive vision (VS) in terns, revealing diverse visual adaptations in marine avian species.

More Related Videos

A Video Surveillance System to Monitor Breeding Colonies of Common Terns (Sterna Hirundo)
07:39

A Video Surveillance System to Monitor Breeding Colonies of Common Terns (Sterna Hirundo)

Published on: July 22, 2018

The Power of Simplicity: Sea Urchin Embryos as in Vivo Developmental Models for Studying Complex Cell-to-cell Signaling Network Interactions
07:34

The Power of Simplicity: Sea Urchin Embryos as in Vivo Developmental Models for Studying Complex Cell-to-cell Signaling Network Interactions

Published on: February 16, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 2, 2026

Assays to Detect UV-reflecting Structures and Determine their Importance in Mate Preference using the Sailfin Molly Poecilia latipinna
06:41

Assays to Detect UV-reflecting Structures and Determine their Importance in Mate Preference using the Sailfin Molly Poecilia latipinna

Published on: September 14, 2016

A Video Surveillance System to Monitor Breeding Colonies of Common Terns (Sterna Hirundo)
07:39

A Video Surveillance System to Monitor Breeding Colonies of Common Terns (Sterna Hirundo)

Published on: July 22, 2018

The Power of Simplicity: Sea Urchin Embryos as in Vivo Developmental Models for Studying Complex Cell-to-cell Signaling Network Interactions
07:34

The Power of Simplicity: Sea Urchin Embryos as in Vivo Developmental Models for Studying Complex Cell-to-cell Signaling Network Interactions

Published on: February 16, 2017

Area of Science:

  • Avian biology
  • Evolutionary genetics
  • Vision science

Background:

  • Ultraviolet-sensitive vision (UVS) is prevalent in terrestrial birds, influencing behaviors like orientation and mate selection.
  • The distribution and adaptive significance of UVS in seabirds remain largely uncharacterized.
  • Previous evidence for UVS in seabirds was limited, primarily to the Laridae and Sternidae families.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the evolutionary distribution of ancestral violet-sensitive vision (VS) and derived ultraviolet-sensitive vision (UVS) in diverse seabird species.
  • To analyze short-wavelength sensitive (SWS1) opsin DNA sequences for spectral tuning sites.
  • To understand the functional implications of UVS in marine environments.

Main Methods:

  • DNA sequencing of SWS1 opsin genes from 16 seabird species across 8 families.
  • Analysis of amino acid spectral tuning sites to identify VS and UVS pigment types.
  • Phylogenetic analysis to infer the evolutionary history of visual pigments.

Main Results:

  • Ultraviolet-sensitive vision pigments (UVSs) were identified in the Black-backed gull (Larus dominicanus), supporting UVS prevalence in Laridae.
  • Ancestral violet-sensitive vision pigments (VSs) were detected in the Caspian tern (Hydroprogne caspia) and White-fronted tern (Sterna striata), indicating potential evolutionary reversion within Sternidae.
  • VSs were also found in six additional seabird families, highlighting the diversity of visual systems.

Conclusions:

  • The study demonstrates a broader distribution of UVS and VS in seabirds than previously known.
  • Tern species show evidence of reverting to ancestral VS, contrasting with UVS found in gulls.
  • Further research is needed to explore the ecological roles and functional significance of varied visual systems in marine avian environments.