Effect of Color Vision on Foraging and predatoe detection skills in New World Monkey - Research Paper Example

657) and has been attributed to be influenced by chromatic signals which are usually produced by the leaves (Dominy and Lucas 363) and fruits (Regan et al. 229). Research has also revealed that trichromatics have the capability of identifying fruits from a background that is leafy and that though fruits have the ability to protect themselves especially during their ripening process, the trichromatics are also able to tell apart the ripe from unripe fruits. Majority of research has been conducted to investigate the foraging ability of trichromatics but less research has been done illustrating the effect of color vision on predator skills.

This evidences a loop hole in research that this research proposal seeks to answer by investigating the effect of color vision not only as pertains to foraging but also on predator detection skills and especially among New World Monkey. Proposed research hypothesis There is a positive correlation between color visions among trichromatic species and their preference for predator detection and foraging. Methods used for collecting genetic and other types of data Genetic data will be collected using amplification and sequencing of the opsin X linked gene which is responsible for the trichomatic genotype hence the vision phenotype.

This will include extracting DNA from the monkeys by using their hair strands, saliva or blood samples for evaluation. Sequence analysis and PCR will also be used so as to identify the four amino acids that are present in the heterozygous females that present with the trichromatic vision allele as evidence in other studies (Surridge and Mundy 2157). Behavioral method of collecting data will be employed where the behavior of monkeys will be observed so as to distinguish trichromatics from dichromatic behavior in feeding.

This will be aimed at assessing if there is a positive link between the behavior of trichromatics in feeding on ripe fruits and in their predation, compared to dichromatic monkeys. Moreover behavior of dichromatic and monochromatic monkeys that make them unable to distinguish the ripe from unripe fruits will also be assessed (Smith, et al. 3162). Morphological method of data collection will be used at evaluating the morphology of ripe fruits that makes them more predisposed to foraging by trichromatic compared to dichromatic.

Consequently, the morphology of leaves will also be used to assess the role played in camouflaging the unripe fruits and the effect on color vision it has on trichromatics compared to dichromatic monkeys (Smith, et al. 3162). Methods of analyzing the data Data will be analyzed by use of software by the name SPSS: Statistical Package for Social Sciences where raw data will be collected, cleaned and coded. After coding into dichromatic and trichomatic as the independent variables and foraging and predator detection as the dependent variables, data will be entered into the computer and analyzed.

Results will be presented in the form of tables, charts and figures for easier interpretation and discussion. Justification Color vision discrimination is important for the survival of any animal especially in the wild. Not only do the animals benefit from the study, results generated pertaining to foraging will aid enhancing the growth of fruits to maturity. This is since it will ensure that the unripe fruits