Plasticity of Reactions to Light in Frogs and a Possible Role for the Pineal Eye

Mrosovsky, N.; Tress, Kathleen H.

doi:10.1038/2101174a0

Cited by 12 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…The findings of Mrosovsky and Tress (1966), mentioned above, point to the possibility that epiphysial photoreceptors may play a role in phototaxis in R. temporaria, but as they used frogs with eyes intact we decided to investigate the phototaxic responses of eyeless frogs to see if some of the observations by Parker on eyeless frogs could be explained by epiphysial photoreception-parapineal photoreception, in particular.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…A unique role for the parapineal organ of Rana clamitans in entrainment of locomotor rhythms may have been revealed by Adler (1971), although the recordings of activity used to support the assertion are not very convincing. One attempt to demonstrate a role for the frog parapineal in phototaxis failed to reach any firm conclusion (Mrosovsky and Tress, 1966). In this investigation Rana temporaria, with either translucent or opaque "hats" covering their epiphysial region, were placed in a sequential choice apparatus.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Non-Optic Phototaxis of Two Species of Ranid Frogs (Amphibia, Anura, Ranidae) with Special Attention to the Parapineal Organ

Ralph¹

1978

Journal of Herpetology

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Non-Optic Phototaxis of Two Species of Ranid Frogs (Amphibia, Anura, Ranidae) with Special Attention to the Parapineal Organ

Ralph¹

1978

Journal of Herpetology

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“…We found that eyes were not needed for a phototactic response in R. imitator tadpoles. In Xenopus tadpoles, a phototactic response towards the light side has been attributed to the photosensitive cells in the pineal structure (Adler, 1976; Foster & Roberts, 1982; Mrosovsky & Tress, 1966). However, severing the optic nerve in some studies removed the preference for the white background environment (Viczian & Zuber, 2014).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tadpoles rely on mechanosensory stimuli for communication when visual capabilities are poor

Butler

McKinney

Ludington

et al. 2022

Preprint

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The ways in which animals sense the world around them change throughout development. Young of many species have absent or limited visual capabilities, but still make complex decisions about individuals with whom they interact. Poison frog tadpoles display complex social behaviors that have been suggested to rely on vision despite a century of research indicating tadpoles have poorly-developed visual systems. Here, we examined visual system development in tadopoles of the Mimetic Poison Frog (Ranitomeya imitator) that use begging displays to stimulate egg feeding from their mothers. Neural activation in the retina increased in begging metamorphic tadpoles, but not in begging pre-metamorphic tadpoles. Molecular profiling of active eye neurons during begging identified numerous differentially expressed development-related transcripts, suggesting that developmental stage, not begging, was driving gene expression profiles. Using the neural tracer neurobiotin, we found that connections between the eye and brain proliferate during metamorphosis, with little retinotectal connections in recently-hatched tadpoles. To assess visual capabilities of tadpoles, we used a light/dark preference assay in early, middle, and late stages. All tadpoles showed a preference for the dark side, but the strength of preference increased with developmental stage and eyes were not required for this behavior. Taken together, these data indicate visual ontology of poison frog tadpoles is similar to that of other frogs, with poor visual capabilities at hatching and immense morphological and physiological changes occurring during metamorphosis. More broadly, this highlights the importance of multimodal cues, including photodetection via the pineal structure, in tadpole social interactions.

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“…A later set of experiments by BOYCOTT et al (1964) replicated this result, but suggested that darkening the starting area decreased the preference for jumping into darkness. Later, MROSOVSKY and TRESS (1966) provided more data which indicated that the starting of frogs in a lighted area produces a slight black-preference, but that the starting in a dark area can give in the same animals a decided preference for jumping toward the light side. This light effect could be prevented by covering the frog's head with opaque "hats" which presumably blocked the effect of light upon the pineal light-receptors beneath the skull.…”

Section: Phototaxis In Anuransmentioning

confidence: 96%

Behavioral Correlates of Central Visual Function in Anurans

Ingle¹

1976

Frog Neurobiology

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Plasticity of Reactions to Light in Frogs and a Possible Role for the Pineal Eye

Cited by 12 publications

References 8 publications

Non-Optic Phototaxis of Two Species of Ranid Frogs (Amphibia, Anura, Ranidae) with Special Attention to the Parapineal Organ

Non-Optic Phototaxis of Two Species of Ranid Frogs (Amphibia, Anura, Ranidae) with Special Attention to the Parapineal Organ

Tadpoles rely on mechanosensory stimuli for communication when visual capabilities are poor

Behavioral Correlates of Central Visual Function in Anurans

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