Newman Blaise A, Hammond Billy R, D'Angelo Gino J
Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA.
Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA.
J Exp Zool A Ecol Integr Physiol. 2025 Oct;343(8):905-910. doi: 10.1002/jez.70007. Epub 2025 Jul 2.
The tapetum lucidum, a biological reflector system found in the eyes of many vertebrate species, enhances visual sensitivity in low light conditions by reflecting light back through the retina. The structure of the ungulate tapetum fibrosum is unique, and its reflectance varies temporally in reindeer (Rangifer tarandus). We used reflectance spectroscopy to characterize the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) tapetum fibrosum and to determine if reflectance varies spatially across the species' range. Our results revealed spatial variation in tapetal coloration and reflectance across parts of the white-tailed deer's range, with populations displaying distinct spectral profiles. Deer in the northern populations of Missouri, Minnesota, and Indiana primarily possessed more short-wave-reflecting tapeta, whereas deer in the Georgia population exhibited more mid-wave-reflecting tapeta and the tapeta of Texas deer appeared intermediate in reflectance. Our findings suggest that tapetal reflectance in white-tailed deer may be influenced by ecological and environmental pressures that vary spatially. These results suggest that local variations in the spatial and temporal dynamics of the tapetum fibrosum in ungulates may be an adaptive trait.
脉络膜毯是一种存在于许多脊椎动物眼睛中的生物反射系统，它通过将光线反射回视网膜来增强在弱光条件下的视觉敏感度。有蹄类动物的纤维性脉络膜毯结构独特，其反射率在驯鹿（Rangifer tarandus）中会随时间变化。我们使用反射光谱法来表征白尾鹿（Odocoileus virginianus）的纤维性脉络膜毯，并确定反射率在该物种分布范围内是否存在空间差异。我们的结果揭示了白尾鹿分布范围内不同区域的脉络膜毯颜色和反射率存在空间差异，不同种群呈现出不同的光谱特征。密苏里州、明尼苏达州和印第安纳州北部种群的鹿主要拥有更多反射短波的脉络膜毯，而佐治亚州种群的鹿则表现出更多反射中波的脉络膜毯，得克萨斯州鹿的脉络膜毯反射率则介于两者之间。我们的研究结果表明，白尾鹿脉络膜毯的反射率可能受到空间上变化的生态和环境压力的影响。这些结果表明，有蹄类动物纤维性脉络膜毯在空间和时间动态上的局部差异可能是一种适应性特征。
