Broad spectral sensitivities in the honeybee's photoreceptors limit colour constancy (original) (raw)
Abstract
Colour constancy allows for visual systems to be view stimuli independent of changes in spectral illumination. Chromatic adaptation is likely to be an important mechanism in colour constancy and can be explained by use of the von Kries coefficient law. Chromatic adaptation is compared for the honeybee and three hypothetical visual systems. It is shown that the spectral breadth and asymmetry of photoreceptors in the honeybee may limit colour constancy. In particular, it is demonstrated that the absorption of short-wavelength radiation by the _cis_-band of chromophore is responsible for a poorer correction for bee colours rich in ultraviolet reflectance. The results are discussed in relation to theoretical considerations of von Kries colour constancy and the physiology of eye design in some other species for which colour constancy has been demonstrated.
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Authors and Affiliations
- Faculty of Science, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia e-mail: adrian.dyer@sci.monash.edu.au Fax: +61-3-9905-3637, , , , , , AU
A. G. Dyer
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Accepted: 14 August 1999
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Dyer, A. Broad spectral sensitivities in the honeybee's photoreceptors limit colour constancy.J Comp Physiol A 185, 445–453 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/s003590050405
- Issue date: November 1999
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s003590050405