title: Overcoming the loss of blue sensitivity through opsin duplication in the largest animal group, beetles.
abstract: Opsin proteins are fundamental components of animal vision whose structure largely determines the sensitivity of visual pigments to different wavelengths of light. Surprisingly little is known about opsin evolution in beetles, even though they are the most species rich animal group on Earth and exhibit considerable variation in visual system sensitivities. We reveal the patterns of opsin evolution across 62 beetle species and relatives. Our results show that the major insect opsin class (SW) that typically confers sensitivity to "blue" wavelengths was lost ~300 million years ago, before the origin of modern beetles. We propose that UV and LW opsin gene duplications have restored the potential for trichromacy (three separate channels for colour vision) in beetles up to 12 times and more specifically, duplications within the UV opsin class have likely led to the restoration of "blue" sensitivity up to 10 times. This finding reveals unexpected plasticity within the insect visual system and highlights its remarkable ability to evolve and adapt to the available light and visual cues present in the environment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, 4102 LSB, Provo, UT, 84602, USA. camilla.r.sharkey@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Camilla R
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-3269-6025
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Sharkey
authors.affiliation: Computer Science Department, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, 84602, USA.
authors.forename: M Stanley
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Fujimoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Georgia College & State University, Campus Box 081, Milledgeville, GA, 31061, USA.
authors.forename: Nathan P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Lord
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Memphis, 3700 Walker Avenue, Memphis, TN, 38152, USA.
authors.forename: Seunggwan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Memphis, 3700 Walker Avenue, Memphis, TN, 38152, USA.
authors.forename: Duane D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: McKenna
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, 4102 LSB, Provo, UT, 84602, USA.
authors.forename: Anton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Suvorov
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, 4102 LSB, Provo, UT, 84602, USA.
authors.forename: Gavin J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, 4102 LSB, Provo, UT, 84602, USA.
authors.forename: Seth M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Bybee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D055253:Color Vision / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D020440:Gene Duplication; D005838:Genotype; D055355:Opsins / Q000235:genetics*; D010641:Phenotype
chemical_list: D055355:Opsins