Shedding light on photosensitive behaviour in brown planaria (Dugesia tigrina)

Colin Davidson; Jose Prados; Claire L. Gibson; Andrew M. J. Young; Darrel Barnes; Rachel Sherlock; Claire V. Hutchinson

doi:10.1068/p6949

Shedding light on photosensitive behaviour in brown planaria (Dugesia tigrina)

Colin Davidson, Jose Prados, Claire L. Gibson, Andrew M. J. Young, Darrel Barnes, Rachel Sherlock, Claire V. Hutchinson

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The planarian flatworm is one of the simplest animals to develop two eyecups that enable them to detect the presence and direction of light, which they typically avoid. In this study we assessed responses of planaria to different intensities of light. We found that they exhibited a graded, sigmoidal, photonegative response to light intensity. A two-octave increase in luminance (on the upward slope of the sigmoid) corresponded to a 9% increase in the speed planaria travelled to avoid light.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	743-746
Number of pages	4
Journal	Perception
Volume	40
Issue number	6
Early online date	1 Jan 2011
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1068/p6949
Publication status	Published - 30 Jun 2011
Externally published	Yes

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title = "Shedding light on photosensitive behaviour in brown planaria (Dugesia tigrina)",

abstract = "The planarian flatworm is one of the simplest animals to develop two eyecups that enable them to detect the presence and direction of light, which they typically avoid. In this study we assessed responses of planaria to different intensities of light. We found that they exhibited a graded, sigmoidal, photonegative response to light intensity. A two-octave increase in luminance (on the upward slope of the sigmoid) corresponded to a 9% increase in the speed planaria travelled to avoid light.",

author = "Colin Davidson and Jose Prados and Gibson, {Claire L.} and Young, {Andrew M. J.} and Darrel Barnes and Rachel Sherlock and Hutchinson, {Claire V.}",

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AU - Davidson, Colin

AU - Prados, Jose

AU - Gibson, Claire L.

AU - Young, Andrew M. J.

AU - Barnes, Darrel

AU - Sherlock, Rachel

AU - Hutchinson, Claire V.

PY - 2011/6/30

Y1 - 2011/6/30

N2 - The planarian flatworm is one of the simplest animals to develop two eyecups that enable them to detect the presence and direction of light, which they typically avoid. In this study we assessed responses of planaria to different intensities of light. We found that they exhibited a graded, sigmoidal, photonegative response to light intensity. A two-octave increase in luminance (on the upward slope of the sigmoid) corresponded to a 9% increase in the speed planaria travelled to avoid light.

AB - The planarian flatworm is one of the simplest animals to develop two eyecups that enable them to detect the presence and direction of light, which they typically avoid. In this study we assessed responses of planaria to different intensities of light. We found that they exhibited a graded, sigmoidal, photonegative response to light intensity. A two-octave increase in luminance (on the upward slope of the sigmoid) corresponded to a 9% increase in the speed planaria travelled to avoid light.

U2 - 10.1068/p6949

DO - 10.1068/p6949

M3 - Article

SN - 0301-0066

VL - 40

SP - 743

EP - 746

JO - Perception

JF - Perception

IS - 6

ER -

Shedding light on photosensitive behaviour in brown planaria (Dugesia tigrina)

Abstract

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