The light sensor of vertebrate scotopic (low-light) vision, rhodopsin, is a G-protein-coupled
receptor comprising a polypeptide chain with bound chromophore, 11-cis-retinal, that …

Visual opsin genes expressed in the rod and cone photoreceptor cells of the retina are core
components of the visual sensory system of vertebrates. Here, we provide an overview of the …

Supergenes are sets of genes that are inherited as a single marker and encode complex
phenotypes through their joint action. They are identified in an increasing number of …

Accurate species phylogenies are a prerequisite for all evolutionary research. Teleosts are
the largest and most diversified group of extant vertebrates, but relationships among their …

Numerous novel adaptations characterise the radiation of notothenioids, the dominant fish
group in the freezing seas of the Southern Ocean. To improve understanding of the …

Inferring phylogenetic trees for individual homologous gene families is difficult because
alignments are often too short, and thus contain insufficient signal, while substitution models …

We live on a planet that is bathed in daily and seasonal sunlight cycles. In this context,
terrestrial life forms have evolved mechanisms that directly harness light energy (plants) or …

Among vertebrates, teleost eye diversity exceeds that found in all other groups. Their
spectral sensitivities range from ultraviolet to red, and the number of visual pigments varies …

Tuning the visual sensory system to the ambient light is essential for survival in many animal
species. This is often achieved through duplication, functional diversification, and/or …

Early events in the evolutionary history of a clade can shape the sensory systems of
descendant lineages. Although the avian ancestor may not have had a sweet receptor, the …