Adaptive Mechanisms in the Ecology of Vision / Edition 1

by S. Archer, M.B. Djamgoz, E. Loew, J.C. Partridge, S. Vallerga

Overview

John Lythgoe was one of the pioneers of the 'Ecology of Vision', a subject that he ably delineated in his classic and inspirational book published some 20 years ago [1]. At heart, the original book aimed generally to identify inter-relationships between vision, animal behaviour and the environment. John Lythgoe excelled at identifying the interesting 'questions' in the ecology of an animal that fitted the 'answers' presented by an analysis of the visual system. Over the last twenty years, however, since Lythgoe's landmark publication, much progress has been made and the field has broadened considerably. In particular, our understanding of the 'adaptive mechanisms' underlying the ecology of vision has reached considerable depths, extending to the molecular dimension, partly as a result of development and application of new techniques. This complements the advances made in parallel in clinically oriented vision research [2]. The current book endeavours to review the progress made in the ecology of vision field by bringing together many of the major researchers presently active in the expanded subject area. The contents deal with theoretical and physical considerations of light and photoreception, present examples of visual system structure and function, and delve into aspects of visual behaviour and communication. Throughout the book, we have tried to emphasise one of the major themes to emerge within the ecology of vision: the high degree of adaptability that visual mechanisms are capable of undergoing in response to diverse, and dynamic, environments and behaviours.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780792353195
Publisher:	Springer Netherlands
Publication date:	01/31/1999
Edition description:	1999
Pages:	668
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.36(d)

Table of Contents

I. General Principles.- 1a. Light and Photoreception: Physical principles.- 1b. Light and Photoreception: Visual pigments and photoreception.- II. Biophysical Adaptations.- 2. Compound eye structure: matching eye to environment.- 3. Vertebrate optical structure.- 4. A review of vertebrate and invertebrate optical filters.- 5. Vertebrate photoreceptors.- 6. The extraretinal photoreceptors of non-mammalian vertebrates.- 7. The regulation of vertebrate biological clocks by light.- III. Biochemical and Physiological Adaptations.- 8. Adaptation of visual pigments to the aquatic environment.- 9. Visual adaptations in crustaceans: spectral sensitivity in diverse habitats.- 10. Functional organization of the outer retina in aquatic and terrestrial vertebrates: comparative aspects and possible significance to the ecology of vision.- 11. Inner retinal signal processing: adaptation to environmental light.- 12. Ecological aspects of vertebrate visual ontogeny.- 13. Molecular biology of photoreceptor spectral sensitivity.- IV. Behaviour and Communication.- 14. Visual systems, behaviour and environment in cephalopods.- 15. Optical structure and visual fields in birds: their relationship with foraging behaviour and ecology.- 16. Behavioural ecology and retinal cell topography.- 17. Flower advertisement for insects: Bees, a case study.- 18. Bioluminescence.- 19. The behavior of animals around twilight with emphasis on coral reef communities.- 20. Vision and behavior in primates.

Editorial Reviews

Summarizes and synthesizes the status and understanding of the ecology of vision 20 years after it was founded as the study of visual systems by relating their function to the visual requirements demanded by the environment and behavior of the animal using the system. Addresses such areas as theoretical and physical considerations of light and photoreception, practical examples of visual system structure and function, and aspects of visual behavior and communication. Emphasizes the major theme that has emerged in the field that the visual system is extremely adaptable when confronted with changing environmental and behavioral conditions. Among the specific topics are the regulation of vertebrate biological clocks by light, the molecular biology of photoreceptor spectral sensitivity, and bioluminescence. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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