The Visual Pigments of Diving Tetrapods: Genetic and Electroretinographic Investigations of Pinnipeds, Cetaceans, Sea Turtles, and Penguins

• Main Author: Levenson, David H.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: eScholarship, University of California 2004
• Subjects: visual pigments; electroretinography; cone visual pigments; pinnipeds; cetaceans; S cones; Physical Sciences and Mathematics; Cones The; Cones, The; Elephant Seal
• Online Access: http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/6wn46905

To evaluate how terrestrially descended, marine-living tetrapods have adapted their vision for life in the ocean environment, the rod and cone visual pigments of diving turtles, birds, and mammals were examined. Genetics was used primarily. When possible, in situ electroretinography (ERG) was also u...