title: The evolution of vision.
abstract: In this review, the evolution of vision is retraced from its putative origins in cyanobacteria to humans. Circadian oscillatory clocks, phototropism, and phototaxis require the capability to detect light. Photosensory proteins allow us to reconstruct molecular phylogenetic trees. The evolution of animal eyes leading from an ancestral prototype to highly complex image forming eyes can be deciphered on the basis of evolutionary developmental genetic experiments and comparative genomics. As all bilaterian animals share the same master control gene, Pax6, and the same retinal and pigment cell determination genes, we conclude that the different eye-types originated monophyletically and subsequently diversified by divergent, parallel, or convergent evolution.
authors.affiliation: Growth and Development, Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Walter J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Gehring
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D057906:Circadian Clocks / Q000235:genetics; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D000071841:PAX6 Transcription Factor; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D017956:Photoreceptor Cells, Invertebrate; D018524:Phototropism / Q000235:genetics; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D005136:Eye Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D000071841:PAX6 Transcription Factor; C000605730:PAX6 protein, human; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors; D012097:Repressor Proteins