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Dryad

Rhesus macaque cone ratio heritability

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May 31, 2022 version files 492.53 KB

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. While 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 macaques. We collected foveal RNA and analysed opsin gene expression using cDNA. We estimated the 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.