Wired News article on stomatopod eyesight

[DanInSD]

http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2008/03/shrimp_vision

Dr. Roy, care to comment? Looks like your cup of tea (or saltwater), so to speak.

Dan

 

[Pea-brain]

So, if I am understanding this correctly we now know that mantis shrimp can not only detect linear polarized light, but circular polarized light as well? Thats....odd. If they already can detect normal polarized light, why go that extra mile for a much more complex version of it? As far as I know stomatopods signal with polarized light, and no other animal in the world (that we know of) can see this light. So it makes sense that they would use a special type of communication to avoid signaling predators as well as eachother, but that just seems unnecessary....*shrug* I probably read it wrong anyways....

Dan

 

[Gonodactylus]

You would think they could spell my name right. The photo was mine.

I may be biased, but this is a big deal. It really is a new way of seeing! No other animal can see CPL and there is no other animal that has evolved a specific signal using CPL. This has got to be the most private channel of communication yet discovered.

Roy

 

[krazeekiddie]

Neat Article!!

 

[Sk8r]

Neat. Genetics is so cool. I tear my hair out at Discovery Channel documentaries that say thus and such evolved "in order to" do certain things...as if critters understand spit about directing their own evolution. But when a chemistry bit selected-for for one reason turns out to drag along another change that's a neat survival-enhancing little sidebar, wonderful things happen---should give the little fellows a whole range of subtle distinctions all on a private channel, shouldn't it?

Great photo, btw!

 

[rwhhunt]

Are there other species of organisms that utilize linearly polarized light?

Here is an interesting link to research peformed my Myron Evans on using circularly polarized laser light for enhanced MRI scans.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5527908665805784720&hl=en

 

[DanInSD]

I thought that photo had "Roy Caldwell" all over it!

You've got to love the "primitive shrimp" designation. We Know Better

In any case, this is really good stuff. What's next? Coherent? RF? Uh... autofocus?

Dan

 

[DanInSD]

I thought that photo had "Roy Caldwell" all over it!

You've got to love the "primitive shrimp" designation. We Know Better

In any case, this is really good stuff. What's next? Coherent? RF? Uh... autofocus?

Dan

 

[Gonodactylus]

The next paper will be a description of the actual structure of the keel that produces the CPL signal. It is different than any other biologically produced CPL known.

After that, who knows what wonders primitive stomatopods might reveal. We may be on to some new sound producing organs and their is always more to understand about the strike.

Roy

 

[DanInSD]

Is this what you wanted the O. cultrifer for?

 

[Gonodactylus]

More O. cultrifer needed

More O. cultrifer needed

Yes. I had suspected for three or four years that there was something beyond linear polarization in the keep, but we didn't see it in a couple of juveniles that I managed to catch in Australia, When I got the male, it blew my socks off with both intense linear and circular polarization. But then I needed a female to see if the signal was sexually dimorphic. It turns out that they are much more sexual dimorphic with respect to linear than circular polarized pattern.

We still are desperate for more material to analyze how the signals are produced and to look at behavior, so if anyone comes across an O. cultrifer in the trade, I would really appreciate a call.

Roy

 

[Gonodactylus]

Here is a different take on the story that appeared today in Science News.

Roy

http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20080322/fob2.asp