Co-Opted Megasatellite DNA Drives Evolution of Secondary Night Vision in Azara's Owl Monkey.

ABSTRACT: Owl monkeys (genus Aotus) are the only taxon in simian primates that consists of nocturnal or otherwise cathemeral species. Their night vision is superior to that of other monkeys, apes, and humans but not as good as that of typical nocturnal mammals. This incomplete night vision has been used to conclude that these monkeys only secondarily adapted to a nocturnal lifestyle, or to their cathemeral lifestyle that involves high night-time activity. It is known that the rod cells of many nocturnal mammals possess a unique nuclear architecture in which heterochromatin is centrally located. This "inverted nuclear architecture", in contrast with "conventional nuclear architecture", provides elevated night vision by passing light efficiently to the outer segments of photoreceptors. Owl monkey rod

SUBMITTER: Koga A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5553404 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature