@article{5521d5cd563c455dacc7a7bded15a30e,
title = "Variation and heritability of retinal cone ratios in a free-ranging population of rhesus macaques",
abstract = "A defining feature of catarrhine primates is uniform trichromacy—the ability to distinguish red (long; L), green (medium; M), and blue (short; S) wavelengths of light. Although the tuning of photoreceptors is conserved, the ratio of L:M cones in the retina is variable within and between species, with human cone ratios differing from other catarrhines. Yet, the sources and structure of variation in cone ratios are poorly understood, precluding a broader understanding of color vision variability. Here, we report a large-scale study of a pedigreed population of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). We collected foveal RNA and analyzed opsin gene expression using cDNA and estimated additive genetic variance of cone ratios. The average L:M ratio and standard error was 1.03:1 ± 0.02. There was no age effect, and genetic contribution to variation was negligible. We found marginal sex effects with females having larger ratios than males. S cone ratios (0.143:1 ± 0.002) had significant genetic variance with a heritability estimate of 43% but did not differ between sexes or age groups. Our results contextualize the derived human condition of L-cone dominance and provide new information about the heritability of cone ratios and variation in primate color vision.",
keywords = "Catarrhine, color vision, droplet digital PCR, gene expression, heritability, opsin",
author = "{Cayo Biobank Research Unit} and Munds, {Rachel A.} and Cooper, {Eve B.} and Janiak, {Mareike C.} and Lam, {Linh Gia} and DeCasien, {Alex R.} and {Bauman Surratt}, Samuel and Montague, {Michael J.} and Martinez, {Melween I.} and Shoji Kawamura and Higham, {James P.} and Melin, {Amanda D.}",
note = "Funding Information: We are grateful to our many collaborators, but especially to Professor M. Hawken and Dr. A. Barron-Arrambide who provided insight into tissue collection techniques. We thank Drs G. Duytschaever, H. Glass, and G. Bertolesi who assisted in the development and improvement of the RNA extraction methods used in this study. Acknowledgement is made to the donors of the NGR, a program of the BrightFocus Foundation, for support of this research (Grant no. G2020047; ADM, JPH), The Leakey Foundation (JPH, ADM, SK), and to the New Frontiers in Research Foundation (NFRFE-2018-02159; ADM, JPH), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (RGPIN-2017-03782; ADM), and the Canada Research Chairs Program Primate Dietary, Ecology and Genomics (950-231257; ADM). MCJ was supported by funding from the Natural Environment Research Council (NE/T000341/1). We also thank the National Institute of Health, Office of Research Infrastructure Program (P40OD12217). Funding Information: We are grateful to our many collaborators, but especially to Professor M. Hawken and Dr. A. Barron‐Arrambide who provided insight into tissue collection techniques. We thank Drs G. Duytschaever, H. Glass, and G. Bertolesi who assisted in the development and improvement of the RNA extraction methods used in this study. Acknowledgement is made to the donors of the NGR, a program of the BrightFocus Foundation, for support of this research (Grant no. G2020047; ADM, JPH), The Leakey Foundation (JPH, ADM, SK), and to the New Frontiers in Research Foundation (NFRFE‐2018‐02159; ADM, JPH), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (RGPIN‐2017‐03782; ADM), and the Canada Research Chairs Program Primate Dietary, Ecology and Genomics (950‐231257; ADM). MCJ was supported by funding from the Natural Environment Research Council (NE/T000341/1). We also thank the National Institute of Health, Office of Research Infrastructure Program (P40OD12217). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 The Authors. Evolution published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The Society for the Study of Evolution.",
year = "2022",
month = aug,
doi = "10.1111/evo.14552",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "76",
pages = "1776--1789",
journal = "Evolution; international journal of organic evolution",
issn = "0014-3820",
publisher = "Society for the Study of Evolution",
number = "8",
}