Research Catalog

Title

Color and vision : the evolution of eyes & perception / Steve Parker.

Author

Parker, Steve, 1952-

Publication

Richmond Hill, Ontario : Firefly Books, 2016.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Holdings

Details

Description

127 pages : color illustrations; 24 cm

Summary

This thought-provoking book examines life before there was vision and considers how it changed when the image-forming eye evolved. It goes back to the earliest life on Earth to trace the evolution of vision and color in nature. 0For color to exist there needs to be light, an image-forming eye, and a brain to process the data. We know that more than 543 million years ago there were no image-forming eyes, only basic light receptors that allowed organisms to tell the difference between light and dark. We also know that about two million years later there were roughly six major groups of animals in existence. 0It was not until just 20 million years later -- a blink of the eye in evolutionary history -- that there were 38 groups, about the same number that exists today. This dramatic and rapid increase may be explained by the evolution of image-forming eyes. With the world suddenly in focus for many species, and with an ability to perceive color, the benefit of being able to hide oneself, appear threatening or attractive, and communicate with one's own species or others, became much more acute. The better the vision, the greater the chance of survival. 00.

Subjects

• Color Vision
• Color > Physiological effect
• Color vision
• Popular Work
• Eye > Evolution
• Visual perception
• Visual Perception
• Color Perception
• Vision, Ocular
• Biological Evolution

Genre/Form

Popular Work.

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contents

See the light -- Animal eyes -- Making multi-hues -- Perception, deception -- Our rainbow world.

ISBN

• 9781770858299
• 1770858296

LCCN

99971789945

OCLC

• ocn943565110
• 943565110
• SCSB-8412546

Owning Institutions

Columbia University Libraries