PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Research shows wallabies lose on the pokies

2014-01-30
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Megan Meates
megan.meates@curtin.edu.au
61-892-644-4241
Curtin University
Research shows wallabies lose on the pokies

Biologists have recently discovered that a wallaby's perception of colour is more similar to a dog than a quokka, sparking questions as to why marsupial colour vision has evolved so selectively.

By developing a pokies-like game for the wallabies, the research – recently published in PLOS ONE by Curtin University's Dr Wiebke Ebeling and colleagues – was able to determine exactly what the animals saw and how their colour perception differed from other species.

"We trained tammar wallabies to respond to different colour stimuli by pressing switches on an automated experimental setup, similar to a poker machine," Dr Ebeling said.

"The most remarkable result was the determination of the 'Neutral Point' which describes a single colour that to wallabies looks identical to white, where the animals cannot make up their mind which switch to choose. In the case of wallabies, this was a shade of cyan (greenish blue).

"The presence of a Neutral Point makes wallabies appear special among marsupials. Their vision is more similar to a dog or horse rather than other marsupials, even their close relative the quokka.

"This study has raised new questions as to why good colour vision evolves so selectively and should be beneficial to the quokka but not the wallaby."

Dr Ebeling said the team presented tammar wallabies with a choice between white and different yellows, greens, and blues. When choosing the correct stimulus in the experiment, the wallaby would be treated with food, leading to an extremely accurate determination of the Neutral Point.

She said the presence of a Neutral Point, together with results from other colour-mixing and colour discrimination experiments, was typical for 'dichromats' – species with two colour-sensitive photoreceptor types in their retina. Whereas 'trichromats', like humans and other marsupials such as the fat-tailed dunnart, with one more photoreceptor type in their retinas, could not be confused as easily.

"The case of the wallaby is clear-cut now: it's a dichromat, but it still remains a mystery what exactly the additional photoreceptor in other marsupials is and why the wallaby should be the only one to miss it," Dr Ebeling said.

"This diversity will require more research by tracking down the elusive photoreceptor gene and examining the behavioural colour vision capabilities of other marsupials to confirm other species as trichromats."

She said behavioural experiments allowed shy and night-active species like the tammar wallaby to participate on their own terms and reveal their perception of colours.

"Our wallabies learned quickly and seemed to enjoy working on the machine and often did not bother actually eating the food – they just played for the fun of it," Dr Ebeling said.

This research was conducted as part of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Vision Science at The Australian National University in Canberra but the authors have since moved to Curtin University and The University of Western Australia in Perth.



INFORMATION:

The publication Dichromatic colour vision in wallabies as characterised by three behavioural paradigms by Wiebke Ebeling and Jan M. Hemmi can be found at http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0086531;jsessionid=3601F4E4D26308B6C4330047A0A659B0



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Blood and lymphatic capillaries grown for the first time in the lab

2014-01-30
Every year around 11 million people suffer severe burns. The resulting large, deep wounds caused by burning only heal slowly; this results in lifelong scars. What is needed to reduce ...

Vitamin A used in acne medicines may help autoimmune and transplant patients

2014-01-30
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 30-Jan-2014 [ | E-mail ] var addthis_pub="eurekalert"; var addthis_options = "favorites, delicious, digg, facebook, twitter, google, newsvine, reddit, slashdot, stumbleupon, buzz, more" Share Contact: Cody Mooneyhan cmooneyhan@faseb.org 301-634-7104 Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Vitamin A used in acne medicines may help autoimmune and transplant patients New research published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology suggests that all-trans retinoid acid enhances an important subpopulation of T cells which act ...

Scientists develop an engineered cardiac tissue model to study the human heart

2014-01-30
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 30-Jan-2014 [ | E-mail ] var addthis_pub="eurekalert"; var addthis_options = "favorites, delicious, digg, facebook, twitter, google, newsvine, reddit, slashdot, stumbleupon, buzz, more" Share Contact: Cody Mooneyhan cmooneyhan@faseb.org 301-634-7104 Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Scientists develop an engineered cardiac tissue model to study the human heart New research in The FASEB Journal suggests that human engineered cardiac tissue may prove reliable as an in vitro surrogate for human myocardium and ...

Engineered virus is effective against triple negative breast cancer cells

2014-01-30
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 30-Jan-2014 [ | E-mail ] var addthis_pub="eurekalert"; var addthis_options = "favorites, delicious, digg, facebook, twitter, google, newsvine, reddit, slashdot, stumbleupon, buzz, more" Share Contact: Cody Mooneyhan cmooneyhan@faseb.org 301-634-7104 Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Engineered virus is effective against triple negative breast cancer cells New research in The FASEB Journal report treatment success when drug-resistant breast cancer cells are infected with a vaccinia virus engineered to make the ...

An electronic tongue can identify brands of beer

2014-01-30
Spanish researchers have managed to distinguish between different varieties of beer using an electronic tongue. The discovery, published in the journal 'Food Chemistry', is accurate ...

Scientists discover that thyroid cancer cells become less aggressive in outer space

2014-01-30
PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 30-Jan-2014 [ | E-mail ] var addthis_pub="eurekalert"; var addthis_options = "favorites, delicious, digg, facebook, twitter, google, newsvine, reddit, slashdot, stumbleupon, buzz, more" Share Contact: Cody Mooneyhan cmooneyhan@faseb.org 301-634-7104 Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Scientists discover that thyroid cancer cells become less aggressive in outer space New research in The FASEB Journal suggests that thyroid cancer cells that are aggressive on earth experience a redifferentiation to less aggressive ...

At last: Mysterious ocean circles in the Baltic Ocean explained

2014-01-30
Are they bomb craters from World War II? Are they landing marks for aliens? Since the first images of the mysterious ocean circles off the Baltic coast of Denmark were taken in 2008, people have tried to find ...

Integration brings quantum computer a step closer

2014-01-30
An international research group led by the University of Bristol has made an important advance towards a quantum computer by shrinking down key components and integrating them onto a silicon microchip. ...

First report of management of pediatric trauma in England and Wales

2014-01-30
The first national report on the nature ...

A protein-production tale of the tape

2014-01-30
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (January 29, 2014) – In higher animals, an embryo's protein production immediately after fertilization relies on messenger RNAs (mRNAs) ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

AI can spot which patients need treatment to prevent vision loss in young adults

Half of people stop taking popular weight-loss drug within a year, national study finds

Links between diabetes and depression are similar across Europe, study of over-50s in 18 countries finds

Smoking increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, regardless of its characteristics

Scientists trace origins of now extinct plant population from volcanically active Nishinoshima

AI algorithm based on routine mammogram + age can predict women’s major cardiovascular disease risk

New hurdle seen to prostate screening: primary-care docs

MSU researchers explore how virtual sports aid mental health

Working together, cells extend their senses

Cheese fungi help unlock secrets of evolution

Researchers find brain region that fuels compulsive drinking

Mental health effects of exposure to firearm violence persist long after direct exposure

Research identifies immune response that controls Oropouche infection and prevents neurological damage

University of Cincinnati, Kent State University awarded $3M by NSF to share research resources

Ancient DNA reveals deeply complex Mastodon family and repeated migrations driven by climate change

Measuring the quantum W state

Researchers find a way to use antibodies to direct T cells to kill Cytomegalovirus-infected cells

Engineers create mini microscope for real-time brain imaging

Funding for training and research in biological complexity

The Journal of Nuclear Medicine Ahead-of-Print Tip Sheet: September 12, 2025

ISSCR statement on the scientific and therapeutic value of human fetal tissue research

Novel PET tracer detects synaptic changes in spinal cord and brain after spinal cord injury

Wiley advances Knowitall Solutions with new trendfinder application for user-friendly chemometric analysis and additional enhancements to analytical workflows

Benchmark study tracks trends in dog behavior

OpenAI, DeepSeek, and Google vary widely in identifying hate speech

Research spotlight: Study identifies a surprising new treatment target for chronic limb threatening ischemia

Childhood loneliness and cognitive decline and dementia risk in middle-aged and older adults

Parental diseases of despair and suicidal events in their children

Acupuncture for chronic low back pain in older adults

Acupuncture treatment improves disabling effects of chronic low back pain in older adults

[Press-News.org] Research shows wallabies lose on the pokies