Visual Ecology
by Thomas W. Cronin, Sönke Johnsen, N. Justin Marshall and Eric J. Warrant
Princeton University Press | August 2014 | ISBN-10: 0691151849 | True PDF | 432 pages | 19.3 mb
http://www.amazon.com/Visual-Ecology-Thomas-W-Cronin/dp/0691151849
Visual ecology is the study of how animals use visual systems to meet their ecological needs, how these systems have evolved, and how they are specialized for particular visual tasks. Visual Ecology provides the first up-to-date synthesis of the field to appear in more than three decades. Featuring some 225 illustrations, including more than 140 in color, spread throughout the text, this comprehensive and accessible book begins by discussing the basic properties of light and the optical environment. It then looks at how photoreceptors intercept light and convert it to usable biological signals, how the pigments and cells of vision vary among animals, and how the properties of these components affect a given receptor's sensitivity to light. The book goes on to examine how eyes and photoreceptors become specialized for an array of visual tasks, such as navigation, evading prey, mate choice, and communication.
A timely and much-needed resource for students and researchers alike, Visual Ecology also includes a glossary and a wealth of examples drawn from the full diversity of visual systems.
- The most up-to-date overview of visual ecology available
- Features some 225 illustrations, including more than 140 in color, spread throughout the text
- Guides readers from the basic physics of light to the role of visual systems in animal behavior
- Includes a glossary and a wealth of real-world examples
About the Author
Thomas W. Cronin is professor of biological sciences at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Sönke Johnsen is professor of biology at Duke University. N. Justin Marshall is professor of biomedical sciences at the University of Queensland in Australia. Eric J. Warrant is professor of zoology at Lund University in Sweden.
CONTENTS
List of Illustrations ix
Preface xix
1 Introduction 1
2 Light and the Optical Environment 10
3 Visual Pigments and Photoreceptors 37
4 The Optical Building Blocks of Eyes 66
5 The Eye Designs of the Animal Kingdom 91
6 Spatial Vision 116
7 Color Vision 146
8 Polarization Vision 178
9 Vision in Attenuating Media 206
10 Motion Vision and Eye Movements 232
11 Vision in Dim Light 262
12 Visual Orientation and Navigation 289
13 Signals and Camoufl age 313
Glossary
References
General Index
Index of Names