Ground squirrel – A cool model for a bright vision
Li Wei
Abstract
The great evolutionary biologist, Theodosius Dobzhansky, once said, "Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution." Vision, no doubt, is a poster child for the work of evolution. If it has not already been said, I would humbly add that "Nothing in biology makes sense except in the context of metabolism." Marrying these two thoughts together, when one chooses an animal model for vision research, the ground squirrel jumps out immediately for its unique cone dominant retina, which has evolved for its diurnal lifestyle, and for hibernation-an adaptation to unique metabolic challenges encountered during its winter sojourn.
Topics & Concepts
Ground squirrelNothingHibernation (computing)Context (archaeology)Adaptation (eye)Cognitive scienceBiologyEnvironmental ethicsPhilosophyEcologyEpistemologyComputer sciencePsychologySquirrel monkeyNeurosciencePaleontologyAlgorithmState (computer science)Retinal Development and DisordersCircadian rhythm and melatoninBat Biology and Ecology Studies