Event Abstract Back to Event Eye design, visual ecology and evolution Dan-Eric Nilsson1* 1 Lund University, Dept. of Biology, Sweden The fundamental role of visual systems is to provide information for maximising behavioural success. There is a wide range of behaviours that rely on information carried by light. To better understand the evolution of vision, I have previously proposed a simple classification of behavioural tasks that rely on photoreception: I) non-directional photoreception, II) directional photoreception, III) low resolution vision, and IV) high-resolution vision. Class I involves tasks such as modulating behaviour in relation to time of day or the depth in water. Class II requires body movements to control locomotion towards brighter or dimmer parts of the environment. Class III is true vision with low resolution, serving functions such as habitat selection and navigation. High-resolution vision (class IV), has only evolved in a small number of phyla, and is concerned mainly with interactions with other animals (predators, prey or conspecifics). The classification correlates with important evolutionary innovations such as photo-transduction, screening pigment, retinal arrays and focusing optics. For each higher class, there is a massive increase in the amount of information fed to the nervous system, which implies that evolution of gradually higher classes also involves a very significant increase in the complexity of the nervous system. To further facilitate our understanding of the evolution of vision I suggest simple comparisons of the performance signature (spatial frequencies, temporal frequencies, contrast sensitivity) needed for specific behavioural tasks. Where modifications or additions of behavioural tasks require changes of the performance signature, these changes can be translated to evolutionary changes in the morphology and physiology of the visual system. The approach thus opens up for an understanding of how visual ecology evolves. Finally, I show how the relation between visual information and eye size can be used for computational visual ecology in the pelagic realm. By comparing performance limits for eyes of different sizes, at different depths and water qualities, it is possible to find general principles of visual ecology in a habitat that is otherwise difficult to investigate. It is also possible to calculate and compare the performance gain brought about by increasing the eye size, and thus provide insight into the selection involved in determining eye sizes in competing or interacting species. Keywords: eye design, evolution, Visual ecology, Vision, Visual information Conference: International Conference on Invertebrate Vision, Fjälkinge, Sweden, 1 Aug - 8 Aug, 2013. Presentation Type: Oral presentation preferred Topic: Eye design, optics and spatial vision Citation: Nilsson D (2019). Eye design, visual ecology and evolution. Front. Physiol. Conference Abstract: International Conference on Invertebrate Vision. doi: 10.3389/conf.fphys.2013.25.00099 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 07 Jun 2013; Published Online: 09 Dec 2019. * Correspondence: Prof. Dan-Eric Nilsson, Lund University, Dept. of Biology, Lund, 22362, Sweden, dan-e.nilsson@biol.lu.se Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Dan-Eric Nilsson Google Dan-Eric Nilsson Google Scholar Dan-Eric Nilsson PubMed Dan-Eric Nilsson Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.