Using opsin genes to see through the eyes of a fish

On October 25th from 12:30 to 13:30 Dr. Karen Carleton, Professor at the University of Maryland, will give a remote seminar:

Using opsin genes to see through the eyes of a fish

Many animals are highly visual. They view their world through photoreceptors sensitive to different wavelengths of light. Animal survival and optimal behavioral performance may select for varying photoreceptor sensitivities depending on animal habitat or visual tasks. Our goal is to understand what drives visual diversity from both an evolutionary and molecular perspective. The colorful group of more than 2000 cichlid fish species are an ideal system for examining such diversity. These freshwater fishes have undergone adaptive radiation throughout Africa and the new world and occur in rivers and lakes that vary in water clarity. They are also behaviorally complex, having diverse behaviors for foraging, mate choice and even parental care. We have used cichlid diversity to explore the relationship between visual sensitivities and ecology. We have also exploited the genomic power of the cichlid system to identify genes and mutations that cause opsin expression shifts. Ultimately, our goal is to learn how different cichlid species see the world and whether differences matter. Behavioral experiments suggest they do indeed use color vision to survive and thrive. Cichlids therefore are a unique model for exploring how visual systems evolve in a changing world.

This seminar is remote and will be streamed on Zoom. We will have N-129 available to watch it together:

https://eu01web.zoom.us/j/69072000768

Meeting ID: 690 7200 0768