Frogs, known for their remarkable diversity of species, were the focal point of a new study conducted by researchers from around the world to examine their visual abilities. Led by York’s Faculty of Science, the study involved collaboration with researchers from various countries to gather a diverse sample of frogs and study the visual pigments in their eyes. The researchers sought to determine if the visual diversity of frogs is reflected in the pigments found in their eyes. The study found that the visual evolution of frogs is driven by differences in species that are aquatic, ground-dwellers, or tree-dwellers, while there was less variation among diurnal and nocturnal frogs.
Published in Molecular Biology and Evolution, the study looked at the visual system of frogs by analyzing the visual pigments and other genes in their eyes. Visual pigments are molecules in the photoreceptor cells of the retina that allow organisms to detect and respond to light. The researchers focused on how these pigments have evolved in frogs living in different light environments, similar to how humans and other animals adapt their visual systems to night and day conditions. The goal was to understand how the visual pigments in frogs have evolved to suit their varied environments.
Lead researcher Ryan Schott, Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at York, has studied the visual system of vertebrates in his lab at York’s Keele Campus. Previous research by Schott has focused on vision changes in southern leopard frogs as they transition from aquatic tadpoles to land-dwelling frogs. While differences were found in these frogs, the study did not see much variation between diurnal and nocturnal frogs. Schott suggests that the lack of difference between these groups may be due to the ancestral adaptive traits of frogs, with most frogs being nocturnal and therefore having visual systems adapted to low-light conditions.
The study’s findings shed light on the evolutionary diversity of frog visual systems and how they have adapted to various environments. Through a collaborative effort involving researchers from across the globe, the study was able to provide insights into the visual pigments of frogs living in different light conditions. The research highlights the importance of understanding how visual systems evolve in response to environmental factors and the challenges faced by different frog species. Ultimately, the study contributes to our knowledge of the intricate relationship between animals and their environments, and how they have evolved to thrive in diverse ecosystems.
