Retinal Ganglion Cell Topography and Spatial Resolution in Three Indian Pteropodid Bats

Author:

Murugavel BaheerathanORCID,Mitkus MindaugasORCID,Somanathan HemaORCID,Kelber Almut

Abstract

Pteropodidae is the only phytophagous bat family that predominantly depends on visual and olfactory cues for orientation and foraging. During daytime, pteropodids of different species roost in sites with varying light exposure. Pteropodids have larger eyes relative to body size than insectivorous bats. Retinal topography has been studied in less than 10% of the approximately 200 pteropodid species, a behavioural estimation of spatial resolution is available only for <i>Pteropus giganteus</i>, and little is known about the relationship between their roost site preference and visual ecology. We present retinal ganglion cell topographic maps and anatomical estimates of spatial resolution in three southern Indian pteropodid species with different roosting preferences. Ganglion cell densities are between 1,000 and 2,000 cells/mm<sup>2</sup> in the central retina and lower in the dorsal and ventral periphery. All three species have a temporal area in the retina with peak ganglion cell densities of 4,600–6,600 cells/mm<sup>2</sup>. As a result, the foliage-roosting <i>Cynopterus sphinx</i> and the cave-roosting <i>Rousettus leschenaultii</i> have similar anatomical resolution (2.7 and 2.8 cycles/degree, respectively). The anatomical estimate for the larger tree-roosting <i>P. giganteus</i> (4<i>.</i>0 cycles/degree) is higher than the spatial resolution determined earlier in behavioural tests. Like other pteropodids and unlike other vertebrates, all three species have choroidal papillae. Based on 15 pteropodid species studied to date, we find no relationship between roost type and eye size or visual acuity. For a general understanding of the sensory ecology of pteropodids that perform key ecosystem services in the tropics, it will be essential to study additional species.

Publisher

S. Karger AG

Subject

Behavioral Neuroscience,Developmental Neuroscience

Reference85 articles.

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3