Ultraviolet (UV) light occupies the spectral range of wavelengths slightly shorter than those
visible to humans. Because of its shorter wavelength, it is more energetic (and potentially …

A striking level of diversity of visual systems in different species reflects their adaptive
responses to various light environments. To study the adaptive evolution of visual systems …

Birds are highly visual animals with complex visual systems. In this article, we discuss the
spectral characteristics and genetic mechanisms of the spectral tuning of avian visual …

Visual systems of vertebrates exhibit a striking level of diversity, reflecting their adaptive
responses to various color environments. The photosensitive molecules, visual pigments …

Vertebrate vision is mediated by five groups of visual pigments, each absorbing a specific
wavelength of light between ultraviolet and red. Despite extensive mutagenesis analyses …

S cones expressing the short wavelength-sensitive type 1 (SWS1) class of visual pigment
generally form only a minority type of cone photoreceptor within the vertebrate duplex retina …

The short-wave-sensitive (SWS) visual pigments of vertebrate cone photoreceptors are
divided into two classes on the basis of molecular identity, SWS1 and SWS2. Only the SWS1 …

The wild-type mouse ultraviolet (UV) and bovine blue cone visual pigments have absorption
maxima of 358 and 438 nm, respectively, while sharing 87% amino acid identity. To …

Much of what is known about the molecular evolution of vertebrate vision comes from
studies of mammals, birds and fish. Reptiles (especially snakes) have barely been sampled …

In 1934, Gordon Walls forwarded his radical theory of retinal photoreceptor 'transmutation'.
This proposed that rods and cones used for scotopic and photopic vision, respectively, were …