Retinal structure and visual acuity in a polyprotodont marsupial, the fat-tailed dunnart (Sminthopsis crassicaudata)

Brain, Behavior and Evolution

Volumn 53, Issue 3, 1999, Pages 111-126

  Arrese, C ^a   Dunlop, S A ^a   Harman, A M ^a   Braekevelt, C R ^a   Ross, W M ^a   Shand, J ^a   Beazley, Lyn D ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA   (Australia)

Author keywords

Horizontal cells; Marsupial; Photoreceptors; Retinal ganglion cells; Visual acuity

Indexed keywords

FAT DROPLET; HORSERADISH PEROXIDASE;

ANIMAL BEHAVIOR; ANIMAL EXPERIMENT; ANIMAL TISSUE; ARTICLE; CELL DENSITY; CELLULAR DISTRIBUTION; FEEDING BEHAVIOR; MARSUPIAL; NONHUMAN; OPTIC NERVE FIBER; PHOTORECEPTOR; PIGMENT EPITHELIUM; PREDATION; PRIORITY JOURNAL; RETINA; RETINA CONE; RETINA GANGLION CELL; RETINA HORIZONTAL NERVE CELL; RETINA ROD; RETINA ROD OUTER SEGMENT; SPECIES DIFFERENCE; SQUAMOUS CELL; VISUAL ACUITY; VISUAL SYSTEM;

ANIMALIA; ARMORACIA RUSTICANA; METATHERIA; SMINTHOPSIS CRASSICAUDATA; SMINTHOPSIS MURINA; VIOLA (ANGIOSPERM);

EID: 0032894238     PISSN: 00068977     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1159/000006588     Document Type: Article

References (121)

1. Ahnelt, P.K., J.N. Hokoc, and P. Rohlich (1995) Photoreceptors in a primitive mammal, the South American opossum, Didelphis marsupialis aurita: characterisation with anti-opsin immunolabeling. Vis. Neurosci., 12: 793-804.
2. Arrese, C.A., J. Shand, A. Harman, S.A. Dunlop, and L.D. Beazley (1998) Visual acuity in the dunnart. Proc. Aust. Neurosci. Soc., 9: 157.
3. Beazley, L.D., and S.A. Dunlop (1983) The evolution of an area centralis and visual streak in the marsupial Setonix brachyurus. J. Comp. Neurol., 216: 211-231.
4. Bellairs, R., M.L.R. Harkness, and R.P. Harkness (1975) The structure of the tapetum of the eye of the sheep. Cell Tiss. Res., 157: 73-91.
5. Bennett, J.H., W.G. Breed, D.L. Hayman, and R.M. Hope (1990) Reproductive and genetical studies with a laboratory colony of the dasyurid marsupial Sminthopsis crassicaudata. Aust. J. Zool., 37: 207-222.
6. Bok, D., and R.W. Young (1979) Phagocytic properties of the retinal pigment epithelium. In The Retinal Pigment Epithelium (ed. by K.M. Zinn and M.F. Marmor), Harvard Univ. Press, Cambridge, pp. 148-174.
7. Bolwell, C.A. (1997) Visual acuity in the fat-tail dunnart Sminthopsis crassicaudata. B. Sc. Hons. Thesis. Department of Zoology, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
8. Boycott, B.B., L. Peichl, and H. Wässle (1978) Morphological types of horizontal cells in the retina of the domestic cat. Proc. Roy. Soc. (Lond) series B, 203: 229-245.
9. Boycott, B.B., and H. Wässle (1974) The morphological types of ganglion cells of the domestic cat's retina. J. Physiol., 240: 397-419.
10. Boycott, B.B., J.M. Hopkins, and H.G. Sperling (1987) Cone connections of the horizontal cells of the rhesus monkey's retina. Proc. Roy. Soc. (Lond) B, 229: 345-379.
11. Bradshaw, F., L. Everett, and S.D. Bradshaw (1998) On the rearing of honey possums. Aust. Mammal. Soc. Western Australia Department of Conservation and Land Management, p. 66.
12. Braekevelt, C.R. (1973) Fine structure of the retinal pigment epithelium and photoreceptor cells of an Australian marsupial Setonix brachyurus. Can. J. Zool., 51: 1093-1100.
13. Braekevelt, C.R. (1976) Fine structure of the retinal epithelium and tapetum lucidum of the opossum (Didelphis virginiana). J. Morph., 150: 213-226.
14. Braekevelt, C.R. (1980) Wandering phagocytes at the retinal epithelium-photoreceptor interface in the teleost retina. Vision Res., 20: 495-499.
15. Braekevelt, C.R. (1983) Retinal photoreceptor fine structure in the domestic sheep. Acta Anat., 116: 265-275.
16. Braekevelt, C.R. (1985) Further observations on the presence of wandering phagocytes within the teleostean retina. Anat. Anz., 160: 45-54.
17. Braekevelt, C.R. (1986) Fine structure of the choriocapillaris, Bruch's membrane and retinal epithelium of the cow. Anat. Histol. Embryol., 15: 205-214.
18. Braekevelt, C.R. (1989) Photoreceptor fine structure in the bobtail goanna (Tiliqua rugosa). Histol. Histopath., 4: 281-286.
19. Braekevelt, C.R. (1991) Retinal epithelial fine structure in the brush-tailed possum (Trichosurus vulpecula). Anat. Anz., 172: 129-135.
20. Braekevelt, C.R., L.D. Beazley, S.A. Dunlop, and J.E. Darby (1986) Numbers of axons in the optic nerve and of retinal ganglion cells during development in the marsupial Setonix brachyurus. Dev. Brain Res., 25: 117-125.
21. Carter-Dawson, L.D., and M. Lavail (1979) Rods and cones in the mouse retina. J. Comp. Neurol., 188: 245-262.
22. Charles-Dominique, P. (1977) Ecology and Behaviour of Nocturnal Primates. Gerald Duckworth and Co., London.
23. Clemens, W.A., B.J. Richardson, and P.R. Baverstock (1989) In Biogeography and Phylogeny of the Metatheria. In Mammalia (ed. by D.W. Walton and B.J. Richardson), Fauna of Australia, Vol B1. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, pp. 527-548.
24. Cohen, A.I. (1972) Rods and Cones. In Physiology of Photoreceptor Organs (ed. by M. Fuortes), Handbook of Sensory Physiology, Vol. 7, Part 2, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, pp. 63-110.
25. Croft, D.B. (1982) Communication in the Dasyuridae (Marsupiala): a review. In Carnivorous Marsupials, Vol. 1 (ed. by M. Archer), Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales, Sydney, pp. 291-309.
26. Dickman, C.R., M. Prevadec, and F.J. Downey (1995) Long-range movements of small mammals in arid Australia: implications for land management. J. Arid Environ., 31: 441-452.
27. Dowling, J.E. (1968) Synaptic organisation of the frog retina: an electron microscopic analysis comparing the retinas of frogs and primates. Proc. Roy. Soc. (Lond) B, 170: 205-228.
28. Drager, U.C. (1978) Observations on monocular deprivation in mice. J. Neurophysiol., 41: 28-42.
29. Drager, U.C., and J.F. Olsen (1981) Ganglion cell distribution in the retina of the mouse. Invest. Ophthalmol., 20: 285-293.
30. Dunlop, S.A., and L.D. Beazley (1985) Changing distribution of ganglion cells during area centralis and visual streak formation in the marsupial Setonix brachyurus. Dev. Brain Res., 23: 81-90.
31. Dunlop, S.A., W.A. Longley, and L.D. Beazley (1987) Development of the area centralis and visual streak in the grey kangaroo Macropus fuliginosus. Vision Res., 27: 151-164.
32. Dunlop, S.A., W.M. Ross, and L.D. Beazley (1994) The retinal ganglion cell layer and optic nerve in a marsupial, the honey possum (Tarsipes rostratus). Brain Behav. Evol., 44: 307-323.
33. Dunlop, S.A., L.B.G. Tee, R.D. Lund, and L.D. Beazley (1997) Development of primary visual projections occurs entirely postnatally in the fat-tailed dunnart, a marsupial mouse, Sminthopsis crassicaudata, J. Comp. Neurol., 384: 26-40.
34. Eckmiller, M.S., and R.H. Steinberg (1981) Localised depigmentation of the retinal pigment epithelium and macrophage invasion of the retina of the bullfrog. Invest. Ophthal. Vision Sci., 21: 369-394.
35. Estbergs, J.A., and R.W. Braithwaite (1985) The diet of the rufous owl Ninox rufa near Cooinda in the Northern Territory. Emu, 85: 202-205.
36. Famiglietti, E.V. (1990) A new type of wide-field horizontal cell, presumably linked to blue cones in rabbit retina. Brain Res., 535: 174-179.
37. Finlay, B.L., and C.A. Berian (1984) The hamster visual and sensory processes. In Reproduction and Behaviour (ed. by H.I. Siegel), The Hamster. Plenum Press, New York, pp. 409-431.
38. Fox, B.J. (1982) A review of Dasyurid ecology and speculation on the role of limiting similarity in community organisation. In Carnivorous Marsupials, Vol. 1 (ed. by M. Archer), Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales, Sydney, pp. 187-197.
39. Freeman, B., and E. Tancred (1978) The number and distribution of ganglion cells in the retina of the brushed-tailed possum, Trichosurus vulpecula. J. Comp. Neurol., 177: 557-567.
40. Freeman, B., and C.R.R. Watson (1978) The optic-nerve of the brush tailed possum, Trichosurus vulpecula: fibre diameter spectrum and conduction latency groups. J. Comp. Neurol., 179: 739-752.
41. Friend, G.R. (1978) A comparison of predator scat analysis with conventional techniques in a mammal survey of contrasting habitats in Gippsland, Victoria. Aust. Wildl. Res., 5: 75-83.
42. Fukuda, Y., and J. Stone (1974) Retinal distribution and central projections of Y, X and W cells of the cat's retina. J. Neurophysiol., 37: 749-772.
43. Gonzales-Soriano, J., E. Rodriguez-Veiga, P. Martinez-Sacuz, Mayayo-Vincente, and P. Gareia (1995) A quantitative study of ganglion cells in the German shepherd dog retina. Anat. Histol. Embryol., 24: 61-64.
44. Griffiths, M. (1968) Echidnas. Pergamon Press, Oxford, p. 282.
45. Griffiths, M. (1978) The Biology of the Monotremes. Academic Press, New York, p. 367.
46. Halasz, P., and P.R. Martin (1984) A microcomputer based system for semi-automatic analysis of histological sections. Proc. R. Microsc. Soc., 19: 312.
47. Harman, A.M. (1982) A study of the visual system of the native cat, Dasyurus hallucatus. B.Sc. Hons. Thesis. Department of Zoology. Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
48. Harman, A.M. (1994) Horizontal cells in the retina of the brush-tailed possum. Exp. Brain Res., 98: 168-171.
49. Harman, A.M., L.A. Coleman, and L.D. Beazley (1990) Retinal projections in a marsupial Tarsipes rostratus (Honey Possum). Brain Behav. Evol., 36: 30-38.
50. Harman, A.M., and J. Ferguson (1994) Morphology and birth dates of horizontal cells in the retina of a marsupial. J. Comp. Neurol., 340: 392-404.
51. Harman, A.M., J.E. Nelson, S.G. Crewther, and D.P. Crewther (1986) Visual acuity of the northern native cat (Dasyurus hallucatus) -behavioural and anatomical estimates. Behav. Brain Res., 22: 211-216.
52. Hebel, R. (1976) Distribution of retinal ganglion cells in five mammalian species (pig, sheep, ox, horse, dog). Anat. Embryol., 150: 45-57.
53. Hokoc, J.N., and E. Oswaldo-Cruz (1979) A regional specialisation in the opossum's retina: quantitative analysis of the ganglion cell layer. J. Comp. Neurol., 183: 385-396.
54. Hughes, A. (1974) A comparison of retinal ganglion cell topography in the plains and tree kangaroo. J. Physiol., 244: 61-63.
55. Hughes, A. (1975) A quantitative analysis of the cat ganglion cell topography. J. Comp. Neurol., 163: 107-128.
56. Hughes, A. (1977) The topography of vision in mammals of contrasting life style: comparative optics and retinal organisation. In Handbook of Sensory Physiology (ed. by F. Crescitelli). Vol. 7, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, pp. 613-756.
57. Hughes, A. (1979) A schematic eye for the rat. Vision Res., 19: 569-588.
58. Hughes, A. (1986) the schematic eye comes of age. In Visual Neuroscience (ed. by J.D. Pettigrew, K.J. Sanderson, and W.R. Levick), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp. 60-89.
59. Jones, E., and B.J. Coman (1981) Ecology of the feral cat, Felis catus (L.), in South-eastern Australia. I: Diet. Aust. Wildl. Res., 8: 537-547.
60. Kolb, H. (1970) Organisation of the outer plexiform layer of the primate retina: electron microscopy of Golgi-impregnated cells. Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. B., 258: 261-283.
61. Kolb, H., and J. Jones (1982) Light and electron microscopy of the photoreceptors in the retina of the red-eared slider, Pseudemys scripta elegans. J. Comp. Neurol., 209: 331-338.
62. Kolb, H., and H.H. Wang (1985) The distribution of photoreceptors, dopaminergic amacrine cells and ganglion cells in the retina of the North American opossum (Didelphis virgiana). Vision. Res., 25(9): 1207-1221.
63. Kulikowski, J.J. (1978) Pattern and movement detection in man and rabbit: separation and comparison of occipital potentials. Vision. Res., 18: 183-189.
64. Kuwabara, T. (1979) Species differences in the retinal pigment epithelium. In The Retinal Pigment Epithelium (ed. by K.M. Zinn and M.F. Marmor), Harvard Univ. Press, Cambridge, pp. 58-82.
65. Lavail, M.M. (1976) Rod outer segment disk shedding in rat retina: relationship to cyclic lighting. Science, 194: 1071-1074.
66. Lesiuk, T.P., and C.R. Braekevelt (1993) Fine structure of the canine tapetum lucidum. J. Anat., 136: 157-164.
67. Locket, N.A. (1985) Echidna retina contains cones and Landlolt's clubs. Proc. Anat. Soc. Aust. New Zealand, 23: 1.
68. McKay, G.M., and J.W. Winter (1989) Phalangeridae. In Mammalia (ed. by D.W. Walton and B.J. Richardson), Fauna of Australia, Vol. B1. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, pp. 636-651.
69. McMenamin, P.G., and W.J. Kruse (1993) Development of the eye in the North American opossum (Didelphis virginiana). J. Anat., 183: 343-358.
70. Maslim, J., M. Webster, and J. Stone (1986) Stages in structural differentiation of retinal ganglion cells. J. Comp. Neurol., 254: 382-402.
71. Menner, E. (1928) Untersuchungen über die Retina mit besonderer Berücksichtigung der äusseren Körnerschichte. Z. vergl. Physiol., 8: 761-826.
72. Mesulam, M.M. (1982) Principles of horseradish peroxidase neurohistochemistry. In Tracing Neural Connections with Horseradish Peroxidase (ed. by M.M. Mesulam), Wiley, Chichester, pp. 1-152.
73. Meyer, D.B. (1977) The avian eye and its adaptations. In The Visual System in Vertebrates (ed. by F. Crescitelli), Handbook of Sensory Physiology, Vol. 7, Part 5, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, pp. 549-612.
74. Mitchell, D.E., F. Giffin, and B.N. Timney (1977) A behavioural technique for the rapid assessment of the visual capabilities of kittens. Perception, 6: 181-193.
75. Morton, S.R. (1978) An ecological study of Sminthopsis crassicaudata (Marsupiala: Dasyuridae), II. Behaviour and social organisation, Aust. Wildl. Res., 5: 163-182.
76. Morton, S.R. (1982) Dasyurid marsupials of the Australian arid zone: an ecological review. In Carnivorous marsupials, Vol. 1 (ed. by M. Archer), Sydney, Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales, pp. 117-130.
77. Morton, S.R., M.J.S. Denny, and D.G. Read (1983) Habitat preferences and diets of sympatric Sminthopsis crassicaudata and S. macroura (Marsupiala: Dasyuridae). Aust. Mammol. 6: 29-34.
78. Morton, S.R., and A.A. Martin (1979) Feeding ecology of the barn owl, Tyto alba, in arid Southern Australia. Aust. Wildl. Res., 6: 191-204.
79. Murphy, C.J., D.O. Mutti, K. Zodnick, and J. Ver Hoeve (1997) Effect of optical defocus on visual acuity in dogs. Am. J. Vet. Res., 58(4): 414-418.
80. O'Day, K.J. (1936) A preliminary note on the presence of double cones and oil droplets in the retina of marsupials, J. Anat., 70: 465-467.
81. Oswaldo-Cruz, E., J.N. Hokoc, and A.P.B. Sousa (1979) A schematic eye for the opossum. Vision Res., 19: 263-278.
82. Peichl, L. (1992) Topography of ganglion cells in the dog and wolf retina. J. Comp. Neurol., 324: 603-620.
83. Peichl, L., and J. Gonzales-Soriano (1994) Morphological types of horizontal cell in rodent retina: a comparison of the rat, mouse, gerbil and guinea-pig. Vis. Neurosci., 11: 501-517.
84. Perry, V.H. (1981) Evidence for an amacrine system in the ganglion cell layer of the rat retina. Neuroscience, 6: 931-944.
85. Perry, V.H., and A. Cowey (1985) The ganglion cell and cone distributions in the monkey's retina: implications for central magnification factors. Vision. Res., 25: 1795-1810.
86. Perry, V.H., and R. Linden (1982) Evidence for dendritic competition in the developing retina. Nature, 297: 683-685.
87. Pettigrew, J.D., B. Dreher, C.S. Hopkins, M.J. McCall, and M. Brown (1988) Peak density and distribution of ganglion cells in the retinae of Microchiropteran Bats: implications for visual acuity. Brain Behav. Evol., 32: 39-56.
88. Provis, J.M. (1979) The distribution and size of ganglion cells in the retina of the pigmented rabbit: a quantitative analysis. J. Comp. Neurol., 185: 121-138.
89. Rapaport, D.H., P. Wilson, and M.H. Rowe (1981) The distribution of ganglion cells in the retina of the North American opossum (Didelphis virginiana). J. Comp. Neurol., 199; 465-480.
90. Read, D.G. (1984) Movements and home ranges of three sympatric Dasyurids, Sminthopsis crassicaudata, Planigale gilesi and P. tenuirostris (Marsupiala), in semi-arid Western New South Wales. Aust. Wildl. Res., 11: 223-234.
91. Reymond, L., and M. Cook (1984) Relation between simultaneous spatial discrimination thresholds and luminance in man. Behav. Brain Res., 14: 51-59.
92. Richardson, K.C., R.D. Wooller, and B.G. Collins (1986) Adaptations to a diet of nectar and pollen in the marsupial Tarsipes rostratus (Marsupiala: Tarsipedidae). J. Zool. (Lond.), 208: 285-297.
93. Rodger, J., S.A. Dunlop, and L.D. Beazley (1998) The ipsilateral retinal projection in the fat-tailed dunnart, Sminthopsis crassicaudata. Vis. Neurosci., 15: 677-684.
94. Rodieck, R.W. (1973) The Vertebrate Retina: Principles of Structure and Function W.H. Freeman, San Francisco.
95. Ross, D.A., A.I. Cohen, and D.B. McDougal, Jr. (1975) Choline acetyltransferase and acetylcholine esterase activities in normal and biologically fractioned mouse retinae. Invest. Ophthalmol., 14: 756-761.
96. Sanderson, K.J., J.E. Nelson, D.P. Crewther, S.G. Crewther, and V.E. Hammond (1987) Retinogeniculate patterns in diprotodont marsupials. Brain Behav. Evol., 30: 22-42.
97. Sefton and Dreher (1995) Visual system. In the Rat Nervous System (ed. by G. Paxinos), San Diego, Academic Press, pp. 833-897.
98. Sidman, R.L. (1958) Histochemical studies on photoreceptor cells. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci., 74: 182-195.
99. Silveira, L.C.L., C.W.P. Picanco-Diniz, and E. Oswaldo-Cruz (1982) Contrast sensitivity function and visual acuity of the opossum. Vision. Res., 22: 1371-1377.
100. Snyder, A.W., T.R.J. Bossomaier, and A. Hughes (1986) Optical image quality and the cone mosaic. Science, 231: 499-501.
101. Sousa, A.P.B., R. Gattas, J.N. Hokoc, and E. Oswaldo-Cruz (1978) The visual field of the opossum. In Opossum Neurobiology (ed. by C.E. Rocha-Miranda and R. Lent), Rio de Janeiro, Academic Brasileira de Ciencias, pp. 51-65.
102. Steinberg, R.H., M. Reid, and P.C. Lacy (1973) The distribution of rods and cones in the retina of the cat (Felis domesticus). J. Comp. Neurol., 148: 229-248.
103. Stone, J. (1965) A quantitative analysis of the distribution of ganglion cells in the cat retina. J. Comp. Neurol., 124: 337-352.
104. Stone, J. (1978) The number and distribution of ganglion cells in the cat's retina. J. Comp. Neurol., 180: 753-772.
105. Stone, J. (1983) Topographical organisation of the retina in a monotreme: Australian spiny anteater, Tachyglossus aculeata. Brain Behav. Evol., 22: 175-184.
106. Strahan, R. (1983) The Australian Museum Complete Book of Australian Mammals (ed. by R. Strahan) The National Geographic Index of Australian Wildlife. Sydney, Angus and Robertson, p. 530.
107. Szél, A., P. Rohlich, and T. Van Veen (1992) Short wave sensitive cones in the rodent retinas. Exp. Eye Res., 57: 503-505.
108. Tancred, E. (1981) The distribution and sizes of ganglion cells in the retinas of five Australian marsupials. J. Comp. Neurol., 196: 585-603.
109. Tansley, K. (1965) Vision in vertebrates. Chapman and Hall, London.
110. Tiao, Y-C., and C. Blakemore (1976) Regional specialisation in the golden hamster's retina. J. Comp. Neurol., 168: 439-458.
111. Vakkur, G.J., and P.O. Bishop (1963) The schematic eye in the cat. Vision Res., 3: 351-381.
112. Vaney, D.I., and A. Hughes (1976) The rabbit optic nerve: fibre diameter spectrum, fibre count, and comparison with a retinal ganglion cell count. J. Comp. Neurol., 170: 241-251.
113. Vaney, D.I., H.M. Young, and I.C. Gynther (1991) The rod circuit in the rabbit retina. Vis. Neuroscience, 7: 141-154.
114. Vidyasagar, T.R., J. Wye-Dvorak, G.H. Henry, and R.F. Mark (1992) Cytoarchitecture and visual field representation in Area 17 of the Tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii). J. Comp. Neurol., 325: 291-300.
115. Walls, G.L. (1934) The visual cells of the white rat. J. Comp. Neurol., 18: 363-366.
116. Walls, G.L. (1942) The Vertebrate Eye and its Adaptive Radiation. Canbrook Institute of Science, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
117. Williams, R.W., C. Cavada, and F. Reinoso-Suarez (1993) Rapid evolution of the visual system: a cellular assay of the retina and dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus of the Spanish wildcat and the domestic cat. J. Neurosci., 13: 208-228.
118. Wong, R.O.L., J. Wye-Dvorak, and G.H. Henry (1986) Morphology and distribution of neurons in the retinal ganglion cell layer of the adult Tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii). J. Comp. Neurol., 253: 1-12.
119. Wye-Dvorak, J., W.R. Levick, and R.M. Mark (1987) Retinotopic organisation in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus of the Tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii). J. Comp. Neurol., 263: 198-213.
120. Young, D.L.W., and C.R. Braekevelt (1993) Retinal epithelial fine structure in the red kangaroo (Macropus rufus). Ann. Anat., 175: 299-303.
121. Young, H.M., and J.D. Pettigrew (1991) Cone photoreceptors lacking oil droplets in the retina of the echidna, Tachyglossus aculeata (Monotremata). Vis. Neurosci., 6: 409-420.