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Comparative studies of retinal design among sea turtles: Histological and behavioral correlates of the visual streak

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Date Issued:
1998
Summary:
We understand very little about the relationships between eye anatomy and visual ecology in sea turtles. Sea turtles use visual information in important contexts, such as selecting habitats, detecting predators, or locating mates or food. This study represents an effort to clarify the form/function relationship between retinal morphology and the behavioral ecology of sea turtle hatchlings. Thus, it is an important first step in relating sea turtle eye anatomy with visual ecology and relating the two to sea turtle natural history. Some organisms possess retinas that contain morphologically specialized cellular areas. The "visual streak," is one such area; receptor cells and associated interneurons are concentrated in a horizontal band in the retina. Three species of sea turtles (Chelonia mydas, Caretta caretta, and Dermochelys coriacea) possess a visual streak located along the horizontal mid-line of the retina, although they differed in streak development. The differences in streak development can be related to their ecology.
Title: Comparative studies of retinal design among sea turtles: Histological and behavioral correlates of the visual streak.
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Name(s): DeCarlo, Lisa Joy.
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
Salmon, Michael, Thesis advisor
Wyneken, Jeanette, Thesis advisor
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Issuance: monographic
Date Issued: 1998
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 49 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: We understand very little about the relationships between eye anatomy and visual ecology in sea turtles. Sea turtles use visual information in important contexts, such as selecting habitats, detecting predators, or locating mates or food. This study represents an effort to clarify the form/function relationship between retinal morphology and the behavioral ecology of sea turtle hatchlings. Thus, it is an important first step in relating sea turtle eye anatomy with visual ecology and relating the two to sea turtle natural history. Some organisms possess retinas that contain morphologically specialized cellular areas. The "visual streak," is one such area; receptor cells and associated interneurons are concentrated in a horizontal band in the retina. Three species of sea turtles (Chelonia mydas, Caretta caretta, and Dermochelys coriacea) possess a visual streak located along the horizontal mid-line of the retina, although they differed in streak development. The differences in streak development can be related to their ecology.
Identifier: 9780591791167 (isbn), 15548 (digitool), FADT15548 (IID), fau:12308 (fedora)
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 1998.
Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Subject(s): Sea turtles
Eye--Anatomy
Vision
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/15548
Sublocation: Digital Library
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.