Projects per year
Abstract
The polarization of light provides information that is used by many animals for a number of different visually guided behaviours. Several marine species, such as stomatopod crustaceans and cephalopod molluscs, communicate using visual signals that contain polarized information, content that is often part of a more complex multi-dimensional visual signal. In this work, we investigate the evolution of polarized signals in species of Haptosquilla, a widespread genus of stomatopod, as well as related protosquillids. We present evidence for a pre-existing bias towards horizontally polarized signal content and demonstrate that the properties of the polarization vision system in these animals increase the signal-to-noise ratio of the signal. Combining these results with the increase in efficacy that polarization provides over intensity and hue in a shallow marine environment, we propose a joint framework for the evolution of the polarized form of these complex signals based on both efficacy-driven (proximate) and content-driven (ultimate) selection pressures.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 3425-3431 |
Journal | Journal of Experimental Biology |
Volume | 217 |
Early online date | 7 Aug 2014 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Oct 2014 |
Research Groups and Themes
- Bristol BioDesign Institute
Keywords
- polarization vision
- synthetic biology
- multi-modal signal
- sensory bias
- stomatopod
- signal evolution
- mantis shrimp
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Dive into the research topics of 'Out of the blue: the evolution of horizontally polarized signals in Haptosquilla (Crustacea, Stomatopoda, Protosquillidae)'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Projects
- 2 Finished
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Seeing the world in a different light - discovering how animals see polarized light
Roberts, N. W. (Principal Investigator)
1/01/11 → 1/01/14
Project: Research
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David Phillips Fellowship for Nicholas Roberts
Roberts, N. W. (Principal Investigator)
1/10/09 → 1/10/14
Project: Research