New Study Deepens Understanding of How Animals See, and What Colors
Published:10 Jun.2022 Source:University of Arkansas
The researchers determined that animals adapted to land are able to see more colors than animals adapted to water. Animals adapted to open terrestrial habitats see a wider range of colors than animals adapted to forests. However, evolutionary history -- primarily the difference between vertebrates and invertebrates -- significantly influences which colors a species sees. Invertebrates see more short wavelengths of light, compared to vertebrates.
Biological sciences doctoral student Matt Murphy and assistant professor Erica Westerman recently published these findings in Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Their article, "Evolutionary history limits species' ability to match colour sensitivity to available habitat light," explains how environment, evolution and, to some extent, genetic composition influence how and what colors animals see.