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Visual Photopigment Evolution in Speciation

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Evolution of Visual and Non-visual Pigments

Part of the book series: Springer Series in Vision Research ((SSVR,volume 4))

Abstract

Visual pigment sensitivities are known to vary across organisms and habitats. The sensory drive theory was formulated over 20 years ago to help explain how such sensory variation could contribute to divergent selection and speciation. Since then, there have been only a few examples that support the idea that visual pigment evolution contributes to speciation. Here, I discuss what is required to demonstrate that evolution of visual pigments (and visual sensitivities) play a role speciation. I then identify systems where visual pigments are unlikely to have a role, where they might play a role, and where they likely have driven speciation. This review concludes that more examples are needed to identify instances where visual pigment evolution contributes to speciation and to determine how frequently sensory drive is at work.

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Abbreviations

A1:

Vitamin A1-derived 11-cis retinal

A2:

Vitamin A2-derived 3,4-didehydroretinal

M/LWS:

Medium to long wavelength-sensitive

MSP:

Microspectrophotometry

RH1:

Rod opsin

RH2:

Rod opsin like 2

SWS:

Short wavelength-sensitive

UV:

Ultraviolet

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Acknowledgements

Thanks to Tom Cronin and Sara Stieb for suggestions regarding invertebrate visual pigment studies. Thanks to Tom Kocher, Mollie Cummings, and Adriana Briscoe for helpful discussions and comments on the manuscript. I appreciate the efforts of Ole Seehausen and Nori Okada in pushing forward the study of sensory drive in cichlid fishes. Thanks also to the University of Queensland for a travel fellowship that enabled me to write this review at UQ and on Lizard Island. I am grateful for NSF support from grant IOS-0841270.

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  1. Department of Biology, University of Maryland, 1210 Biology Psychology Bldg, College Park, MD, 20742, USA

    Karen L. Carleton Ph.D.

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  1. Karen L. Carleton Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Karen L. Carleton Ph.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Animal Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia

    David M. Hunt

  2. Department of Ophthalmology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom

    Mark W. Hankins

  3. School of Animal Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, West Australia, Australia

    Shaun P Collin

  4. Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

    N. Justin Marshall

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Carleton, K.L. (2014). Visual Photopigment Evolution in Speciation. In: Hunt, D., Hankins, M., Collin, S., Marshall, N. (eds) Evolution of Visual and Non-visual Pigments. Springer Series in Vision Research, vol 4. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4355-1_8

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