The Amphibian Visual System

The Amphibian Visual System: A Multidisciplinary Approach is a compendium of articles across a broad range of disciplines within experimental biology focusing on the study of the amphibian visual system.

The book presents a survey of the evolutionary history and major taxonomic and ecological adaptations of amphibians; anatomic, physiological, developmental, and behavioral data relating to the amphibian visual system; description of important standards for laboratory amphibians; and the crucial problem of species identification in neurobiological research.

Zoologists, experimental biologists, neurologists, and anatomists will find the text very interesting.

Contenu

List of Contributors
Preface
1 Amphibians, Their Evolutionary History, Taxonomy, and Ecological Adaptations
Past History of Amphibia
Relationships and Biogeography of Living Amphibians
Anuran Adaptation
Reproductive Strategies
Regional Adaptation
A Look Ahead
2 Anatomy and Physiology of the Frog Retina
Introduction
Anatomy
Visual Pigments
Basic Electrophysiology
Functional Electrophysiology
Conclusion
3 Central Visual Pathways in the Frog
Introduction
Optic Nerve
Central Visual Pathways
Conclusion
4 Spatial Vision in Anurans
Introduction
Problems in Studying Spatial Vision
Localization of Prey Objects
Depth Estimation
Selection among Two Prey Stimuli
Directionality of Avoidance Behaviors
Orientation and Shape in Discrimination of Barriers
Stepping onto Surfaces
Orientation to the Bank of Ponds
Differentiation of Localizing Behaviors and Their Anatomic Basis
Retinotopic Specificity in Localizing Behaviors
Frog Vision in Phylogenetic Perspective
Concluding Remarks
5 The Visual System of the Toad: Behavioral and Physiological Studies on a Pattern Recognition System
Introduction
Quantitative Analysis of the Key Stimuli "Prey" and "Enemy"
Prey Catching and Avoidance "Zones" in the Brain
Neural Coding of Behaviorally Relevant Form Features along the Visual Pathway
Hypothesis: The First Basic Steps in Prey-Enemy Recognition
Computer Analysis of the Hypothetical Prey-Enemy Pattern Recognition System by Means of Model Nerve Nets
General Discussion
6 The Urodele Visual System
Commonly Studied Families
Visually Guided Behavior
Anatomy and Physiology of the Visual System
Urodeles and Comparative Neurobiology of the Visual System
7 The Amphibian Visual System as a Model for Developmental Neurobiology
Introduction
General Concepts: Induction, Determination, and Differentiation; Regulation, Fields, and Positional Information
The Development of the Eye
The Formation of Synaptic Connections between the Eye and Brain
Axial Polarization of the Retina
The Acquisition of Tectal Polarity
The Cell Cycle and Differentiation
Cell Coupling
The Current Status of the Chemoaffinity Theory
Endocrine Influences in Neurogenesis
Trophic Influences
Cell Death
The Role of Function in Neurogenesis
Summary
8 Standards for Laboratory Amphibians
Introduction
The Biological Standard
The Supply of Amphibians
Solutions to the Problems
Bibliography
Subject Index