Department of Animal Ecology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, S-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden.
J Exp Biol. 2010 Oct 1;213(Pt 19):3357-63. doi: 10.1242/jeb.042424.
The ability to perceive rapid movement is an essential adaptation in birds, which are involved in rapid flight, pursuing prey and escaping predators. Nevertheless, the temporal resolution of the avian visual systems has been less well explored than spectral sensitivity. There are indications that birds are superior to humans in their ability to detect movement, as suggested by higher critical flicker frequencies (CFFs). It has also been implied, but not properly tested, that properties of CFF, as a function of light intensity, are affected by the spectral composition of light. This study measured CFF in the chicken, Gallus gallus L., using four different light stimuli - white, full-spectrum (white with addition of UV), yellow (590 nm) and UV (400 nm) - and four light intensity levels, adjusted to relative cone sensitivity. The results showed significantly higher CFF values for full-spectrum compared with white light, as well as a steeper rate of increase with intensity. The presence of UV wavelengths, previously demonstrated to affect mate choice and foraging, appears to be important also for detection of rapid movement. The yellow and UV light stimuli yielded rather similar CFFs, indicating no special role for the double cone in flicker detection.
感知快速运动的能力是鸟类的一项重要适应能力，因为它们需要进行快速飞行、追捕猎物和逃避捕食者。然而，鸟类视觉系统的时间分辨率比光谱灵敏度研究得更少。有迹象表明，鸟类在检测运动的能力上优于人类，这一点可以从更高的临界闪烁频率（CFF）得到证明。还有人暗示（但没有经过适当测试），CFF 的特性（作为光强度的函数）会受到光的光谱组成的影响。本研究使用四种不同的光刺激——白色、全光谱（白色加上紫外线）、黄色（590nm）和紫外线（400nm）——以及四个光强度水平，来测量鸡（Gallus gallus L.）的 CFF，这些强度水平被调整为相对锥体细胞灵敏度。结果表明，全光谱光的 CFF 值明显高于白光，并且随着强度的增加，增加的速度也更快。紫外线波长的存在，先前已被证明会影响配偶选择和觅食，对于快速运动的检测似乎也很重要。黄色和紫外线光刺激产生了相当相似的 CFF 值，表明双锥细胞在闪烁检测中没有特殊作用。
