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Evolution of colour vision in vertebrates

J K Bowmaker1

  • 1Department of Visual Science, University College London, UK. j.bowmaker@ucl.ac.uk

Eye (London, England)
|October 17, 1998
PubMed
Summary

Vertebrate evolution saw early visual pigment development, with cone pigments preceding rod pigments. Mammals evolved trichromatic vision from dichromatic systems, while other vertebrates retain tetrachromacy.

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Vision science
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Five major visual pigment families emerged early in vertebrate evolution, predating class separation.
  • Phylogenetic analysis indicates ancestral pigments were cones, with rods evolving later.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the evolutionary trajectory of visual pigments and color vision across vertebrate lineages.
  • To understand the genetic basis for varying color vision capabilities in vertebrates.

Main Methods:

  • Phylogenetic analysis of opsin gene sequences.
  • Comparative genomics of visual pigment families.

Main Results:

  • Early vertebrates likely possessed tetrachromatic color vision, supported by four cone classes.
  • Mammals exhibit dichromatic vision due to rod-dominated retinas, a consequence of nocturnal ancestry.
  • Primates re-evolved trichromacy through opsin gene duplication approximately 35 million years ago.

Conclusions:

  • Visual pigment evolution diversified color vision capabilities across vertebrate classes.
  • Mammalian color vision evolved from a dichromatic baseline, with primates developing trichromacy.
  • The number of spectral cone classes dictates the potential for color vision in vertebrates.

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