Photopigments underlying color vision in ringtail lemurs (Lemur catta) and brown lemurs (Eulemur fulvus)

A recent examination of color vision in the ringtail lemur produced evidence that these prosimians could make color discriminations consistent with a diagnosis of trichromatic color vision. However, it was unclear if this behavior reflected the presence of three classes of cone or whether lemurs might be able to utilize signals from rods in conjunction with those from only two classes of cone. To resolve that issue, spectral sensitivity functions were obtained from ringtail lemurs (Lemur catta) and brown lemurs (Eulemur fulvus) using a noninvasive electrophysiological procedure, electroretinographic flicker photometry. Results from experiments involving chromatic adaptation indicate that these lemurs routinely have only a single class of cone photopigment in the middle to long wavelengths (peak sensitivity of about 545 nm); they also have a short-wavelengthsensitive cone pigment with peak of about 437 nm. The earlier behavioral results are suggested to have resulted from the ability of lemurs to jointly utilize signals from rods and cones. The cone pigment complements of these lemurs differ distinctly from those seen among the anthropoids. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.