Skip to content

Nature

Colour blindness helps monkeys catch camouflaged prey

by Dave Armstrong 12 Jan 2012
Colour blindness helps monkeys catch camouflaged prey

Saddle-back tamarin feeding on a camouflaged brown cricket; Credit Mojca Stojan-Dolar

A project involving the universities of Cambridge, Stirling, Sussex and Anglia Ruskin, led by Dr Andrew Smith has reversed the opinions we tend to hold on colour vision. Reporting in the journal, Animal Behaviour, they studied three tamarin monkeys. The saddle-back, moustached and red-bellied tamarins inhabit the Amazon rainforest and Belfast Zoo.

Humans are normally trichromatic. That is because we have three detectors or types of cone cell in our retina. Our dichromatic fathers and sons see better in dim light according to some research, because of some improved spatial vision and are thought superior at breaking a camouflage pattern. They are usually red-green colour-blind or green colour-blind and all primates seem to be similar in this respect. That indicates that predator and prey recognition could be advantaged by dichromatic vision, even among humans. The evolution of our colour-blind humans is likely to be related to their success at this recognition. The genes would be favoured simply by natural selection.

Primates eat ripe fruit that becomes a red or orange target in a fruit tree. As red-green colour blindness prevents this distinction, humans may be less successful at targeting ripe fruit, as we have a higher incidence of this colour blindness than other apes. In the Americas, the monkeys have evolved separately and for example, in many species, all males and some females are colour-blind.

Scientists test the DNA by gathering faeces from the forest floor, so the investigation is not hindered by lack of specimens. Strangely, these tamarins have six different types of vision. Six different ways of viewing your environment could have some advantage for a troop of monkeys. Less inter-group competition, specialisation of the tasks of fruit collection or prey detection and several other predator-related indicators could make group size and group protection relevant to colour vision.

Saddle-back tamarin eating a green cricket

Saddle-back tamarin feeding on a green cricket; Credit Mojca Stojan-Dolar

In this study the colour blind individuals captured insects such as crickets at a much higher rate than their trichromatic colleagues, but the trichromatic individuals caught more overall prey. Heterozygote advantage may help maintain the genetic polymorphism of the colour vision of many organisms.

Looking at the environment of these primates, different seasons can produce varying numbers of insect prey, such as newly emerged adults. When the crickets are in season, its full bellies for the dichromats, but also their young. Monkeys share food more than other animals, so it is fair to suggest that they, the apes and ourselves have been profoundly influenced by this genetic diversity in colour vision


Trending Eco-Friendly Clothing

Love My Planet Women's Relaxed Fit Hoodie
Earth
Quick Add
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Love My Planet Women's Relaxed Fit Hoodie
Love My Planet women's eco-friendly relaxed fit hoodieSize Guide Centimeters 8 10 12 14 16 18 Bust 84 88 92 97 103 108 Waist 66 70 75 80 85 91 Hips 91 95 99 104 109 116 Bust: Measure around the fullest part of...
£38.00
£38.00
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Penguins Hate Push-Ups Men's Pullover Hoodie
Earth
Quick Add
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Penguins Hate Push-Ups Men's Pullover Hoodie
Penguins Hate Push-Ups men's eco-friendly pullover HoodieSize Guide Centimeters XS S M L XL XXL Height 171 175 179 183 189 195 Chest 86 93 99 104 116 129 Waist 71 76 81 89 99 112 Chest: Measure all round your chest just below...
£38.00
£38.00
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Lightning Bolt Kids Long Sleeve T-Shirt
Earth
Quick Add
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Notify me
Lightning Bolt Kids Long Sleeve T-Shirt
Lightning Bolt kids eco-friendly long sleeve t-shirtSize Guide Centimeters 3-4yrs 5-6yrs 7-8yrs 9-10yrs 11-12yrs Height 98 112 125 136 147 Chest 60 66 70 75 84 Chest: Measure all around your chest just below your armpits. Height: Your natural height If you fall between...
£18.00
£18.00
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Notify me
Union Jack Tote Bag
Earth
Quick Add
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Union Jack Tote Bag
Union Jack eco-friendly colour tote bagProduct Specification Organic Cotton Tote Bag. Twill Weave (170gsm). 37 x 42 cm (7cm gusset.) Made in India / Designed on the Isle of Wight. Wash Cool, Hang Dry.
£16.00
£16.00
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Prev Post
Next Post

Eco-Friendly Shop

Women's Clothing

Eco-Friendly Clothing for Women Our online shop offers a wide range of sustainable women’s clothing products, including t-shirts, hoodies, vests, sweaters, shorts, and...
Shop Now

Men's Clothing

Eco-Friendly Clothing for Men Our online shop offers a wide range of sustainable men’s clothing products, including t-shirts, hoodies, vests, sweaters, shorts, and...
Shop Now

Kids Clothing

Eco-Friendly Clothes for Kids Our online shop offers a wide range of sustainable kids clothing products, including t-shirts, hoodies and jumpers. Our garments...
Shop Now
Someone recently bought a
[time] ago, from [location]

Thanks for subscribing!

This email has been registered!

Shop the look

Choose Options

Earth Times
Sign up for exclusive updates, new arrivals & insider only discounts

Recently Viewed

Edit Option
Back In Stock Notification
this is just a warning
Login
Shopping Cart
0 items

Before you leave...

Take 20% off your first order

20% off

Enter the code below at checkout to get 20% off your first order

CODESALE20

Continue Shopping