ArticleScientific reports2016
Retinal transcriptome sequencing sheds light on the adaptation to nocturnal and diurnal lifestyles in raptors.
Article in Scientific reports, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 25 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
25 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 83 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pooled it
- Evolutionary Shifts in Rhodopsin Function Illuminate Dim-Light Adaptations in Birds.Integrative zoology · 2026Article
- Exploring the visual system of the black grouse (Lyrurus tetrix): combining experimental and molecular approaches to inform strategies for reducing collisions.The Journal of experimental biology · 2026Article
- Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms, Structural Variants, and Short Tandem Repeats Capture Distinct Signals of Adaptive Divergence in the Atlantic Puffin.Genome biology and evolution · 2025Article
- Diversity and Evolution of Frog Visual Opsins: Spectral Tuning and Adaptation to Distinct Light Environments.Molecular biology and evolution · 2024Article
- Genomic insight into the nocturnal adaptation of the black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax).BMC genomics · 2022Article
- Ambush predation and the origin of euprimates.Science advances · 2022Article
- Genomic bases underlying the adaptive radiation of core landbirds.BMC ecology and evolution · 2021Article
- Genomic Evidence for Sensorial Adaptations to a Nocturnal Predatory Lifestyle in Owls.Genome biology and evolution · 2020Article
- Wild hummingbirds discriminate nonspectral colors.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2020Article
- New genome assembly of the barn owl (Ecology and evolution · 2020Article
- Widespread nocturnality of living birds stemming from their common ancestor.BMC evolutionary biology · 2019Article
- Raptor genomes reveal evolutionary signatures of predatory and nocturnal lifestyles.Genome biology · 2019Article
- Avian Binocularity and Adaptation to Nocturnal Environments: Genomic Insights from a Highly Derived Visual Phenotype.Genome biology and evolution · 2019Article
- Comparative Genomics Reveals the Genetic Mechanisms of Musk Secretion and Adaptive Immunity in Chinese Forest Musk Deer.Genome biology and evolution · 2019Article
- Convergent evolution of bird-mammal shared characteristics for adapting to nocturnality.Proceedings. Biological sciences · 2019Article
- Comparative genomics sheds light on the predatory lifestyle of accipitrids and owls.Scientific reports · 2019Article
- Article
- Chromosome-level assembly reveals extensive rearrangement in saker falcon and budgerigar, but not ostrich, genomes.Genome biology · 2018Article
- Arms race of temporal partitioning between carnivorous and herbivorous mammals.Scientific reports · 2018Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
7 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Owls (Strigiformes) represent a fascinating group of birds that are the ecological night-time counterparts to diurnal raptors (Accipitriformes). The nocturnality of owls, unusual within birds, has favored an exceptional visual system that is highly tuned for hunting at night, yet the molecular basis for this adaptation is lacking. Here, using a comparative evolutionary analysis of 120 vision genes obtained by retinal transcriptome sequencing, we found strong positive selection for low-light vision genes in owls, which contributes to their remarkable nocturnal vision. Not surprisingly, we detected gene loss of the violet/ultraviolet-sensitive opsin (SWS1) in all owls we studied, but two other color vision genes, the red-sensitive LWS and the blue-sensitive SWS2, were found to be under strong positive selection, which may be linked to the spectral tunings of these genes toward maximizing photon absorption in crepuscular conditions. We also detected the only other positively selected genes associated with motion detection in falcons and positively selected genes associated with bright-light vision and eye protection in other diurnal raptors (Accipitriformes). Our results suggest the adaptive evolution of vision genes reflect differentiated activity time and distinct hunting behaviors.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.