“Of Grasshoppers and Birds: Case Studies in the Ecology of Spatial Vision”
Animals can vary by four orders of magnitude in the fineness/coarseness of their vision, which in turn drastically limits their potential behaviors. Here, I will use case studies in grasshoppers and birds to explore how an animal’s ecology drives variation in their spatial vision. First, I will discuss the colorful world of band-winged grasshoppers and show that their vision varies between species and is sexually dimorphic. Second, I will elucidate what ecological factors have driven spatial vision in birds by presenting a meta study that examines their vision in an evolutionary framework. Throughout I will show how these different animals perceive the world, especially regarding the appearance of signals.
Nicholas Brandley is the Walter D. Foss Visiting Assistant Professor at the College of Wooster.