Archived Abstracts
The adaptive value of primate color vision for predator detection
Authors: Daniel Marques Almeida Pessoa, Rafael Maia, Rafael Cavalcanti de Albuquerque Ajuz, Pedro Zurvaino Palmeira Melo Rosa de Moraes, Maria Helena Constantino Spyrides, Valdir Filgueiras Pessoa
Primates are unique in their diversity of color vision, with several species showing widespread polymorphism where two phenotypes, trichromacy (as observed in most humans) and dichromacy (also found in human color-blind), are encountered in stable proportions. Understanding the variety of color vision types in primates brings into focus the fundamental question of the ecological importance of anthropoid color vision. In this manuscript we argue that progress in the discipline has been stifled due to an inordinate focus on a single hypothesis (the importance of color vision for food selection), while ignoring other sensory challenges that may have dramatic influence on fitness. Here we explore a previously untested possibility, showing that trichromats outperform dichromats in detecting predators in a natural scenario. By combining physiological models of color vision and behavioral experiments, we demonstrate that primate-eating carnivorans (such as ocelots and pumas) are more successfully spotted by trichromats against the green foliage background based on their contrasting russet/yellowish coats. Considering that predation risk and insectivory are often higher for smaller bodied primates, we conclude that the wide variety of color vision types, found in Old World and New World primates, might be explained by the selective advantages of trichromats and dichromats in detecting predators and insects, respectively. Our result stands as a general explanation for the occurrence and distribution of different kinds of color vision in anthropoids, our own species included.
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