Emu Eyed
Emus can see in Ultra Violet !!
Wed 6 Jul 2016
Proceedings of the Royal Society
Organisation/s: Macquarie University, The University of Western Australia
Funder: WA Premier’s Fellowship, the Australian Research Council (ARC), the Western Australian (WA) State Government.
The study provides a comprehensive description of the spectral sensitivity of the emu, Dromaius novaehollandiae, a member of the group of large flightless birds, the Palaeognathae, that are thought to represent the basal species in avian evolution. More specifically, it provides definitive evidence that these birds are sensitive to ultraviolet (UV) light as they possess UV-sensitive cone photoreceptors, ocular media that allow transmission of UV light, and a UV-sensitive visual pigment.