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Limits of colour vision in dim light

Kelber, Almut LU and Lind, Olle LU (2010) 20th Biennial Symposium of the International-Colour-Vision-Society 30(5). p.454-459
Abstract
Humans and most vertebrates have duplex retinae with multiple cone types for colour vision in bright light, and one single rod type for achromatic vision in dim light. Instead of comparing signals from multiple spectral types of photoreceptors, such species use one highly sensitive receptor type thus improving the signal-to-noise ratio at night. However, the nocturnal hawkmoth Deilephila elpenor, the nocturnal bee Xylocopa tranquebarica and the nocturnal gecko Tarentola chazaliae can discriminate colours at extremely dim light intensities. To be able to do so, they sacrifice spatial and temporal resolution in favour of colour vision. We review what is known about colour vision in dim light, and compare colour vision thresholds with the... (More)
Humans and most vertebrates have duplex retinae with multiple cone types for colour vision in bright light, and one single rod type for achromatic vision in dim light. Instead of comparing signals from multiple spectral types of photoreceptors, such species use one highly sensitive receptor type thus improving the signal-to-noise ratio at night. However, the nocturnal hawkmoth Deilephila elpenor, the nocturnal bee Xylocopa tranquebarica and the nocturnal gecko Tarentola chazaliae can discriminate colours at extremely dim light intensities. To be able to do so, they sacrifice spatial and temporal resolution in favour of colour vision. We review what is known about colour vision in dim light, and compare colour vision thresholds with the optical sensitivity of the photoreceptors in selected animal species with lens and compound eyes. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
keywords
intensity threshold, dim light vision, Colour vision, compound eyes, optical sensitivity, lens eyes
host publication
Opthalmic and Physiological Optics
volume
30
issue
5
pages
454 - 459
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
conference name
20th Biennial Symposium of the International-Colour-Vision-Society
conference location
Braga, Portugal
conference dates
2009-07-24 - 2009-07-28
external identifiers
  • wos:000281285500005
  • scopus:77956136736
  • pmid:20883328
ISSN
1475-1313
0275-5408
DOI
10.1111/j.1475-1313.2010.00721.x
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
de66a128-2b6e-4a01-86c8-6fedf97109e3 (old id 1672630)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:02:00
date last changed
2024-04-21 03:02:18
@inproceedings{de66a128-2b6e-4a01-86c8-6fedf97109e3,
  abstract     = {{Humans and most vertebrates have duplex retinae with multiple cone types for colour vision in bright light, and one single rod type for achromatic vision in dim light. Instead of comparing signals from multiple spectral types of photoreceptors, such species use one highly sensitive receptor type thus improving the signal-to-noise ratio at night. However, the nocturnal hawkmoth Deilephila elpenor, the nocturnal bee Xylocopa tranquebarica and the nocturnal gecko Tarentola chazaliae can discriminate colours at extremely dim light intensities. To be able to do so, they sacrifice spatial and temporal resolution in favour of colour vision. We review what is known about colour vision in dim light, and compare colour vision thresholds with the optical sensitivity of the photoreceptors in selected animal species with lens and compound eyes.}},
  author       = {{Kelber, Almut and Lind, Olle}},
  booktitle    = {{Opthalmic and Physiological Optics}},
  issn         = {{1475-1313}},
  keywords     = {{intensity threshold; dim light vision; Colour vision; compound eyes; optical sensitivity; lens eyes}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{5}},
  pages        = {{454--459}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  title        = {{Limits of colour vision in dim light}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-1313.2010.00721.x}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/j.1475-1313.2010.00721.x}},
  volume       = {{30}},
  year         = {{2010}},
}