QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s):
Home     Help     Feedback     Subscriptions     Archive     Search     Table of Contents

First published online February 15, 2006
Journal of Experimental Biology 209, 781-788 (2006)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2006
doi: 10.1242/jeb.02060

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Kelber, A. Articles by Roth, L. S. V. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Kelber, A. Articles by Roth, L. S. V.

Commentary

Nocturnal colour vision – not as rare as we might think

Almut Kelber^* and Lina S. V. Roth

Department of Cell and Organism Biology, Vision Group, Lund University, Helgonavägen 3, S-22362 Lund, Sweden

^* Author for correspondence (e-mail: almut.kelber{at}cob.lu.se)

Accepted 22 December 2005

The dual retina of humans and most vertebrates consists of multiple types of cone for colour vision in bright light and one single type of rod, leaving these animals colour-blind at night. Instead of comparing the signals from different spectral types of photoreceptors, they use one highly sensitive receptor, thus improving the signal-to-noise ratio. However, nocturnal moths and geckos can discriminate colours at extremely dim light intensities when humans are colour-blind, by sacrificing spatial and temporal rather than spectral resolution. The advantages of colour vision are just as obvious at night as they are during the day. Colour vision is much more reliable than achromatic contrast, not only under changing light intensities, but also under the colour changes occurring during dusk and dawn. It can be expected that nocturnal animals other than moths and geckos make use of the highly reliable colour signals in dim light.

Key words: vision, colour vision, sensitivity, colour constancy, night vision

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C.-Y. Chuang, E.-C. Yang, and I-M. Tso Deceptive color signaling in the night: a nocturnal predator attracts prey with visual lures Behav. Ecol., March 1, 2008; 19(2): 237 - 244. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C.-Y. Chuang, E.-C. Yang, and I-M. Tso Diurnal and nocturnal prey luring of a colorful predator J. Exp. Biol., November 1, 2007; 210(21): 3830 - 3837. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. H. Perry, R. D. Martin, and B. C. Verrelli Signatures of Functional Constraint at Aye-aye Opsin Genes: The Potential of Adaptive Color Vision in a Nocturnal Primate Mol. Biol. Evol., September 1, 2007; 24(9): 1963 - 1970. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]