Scimex: An Australian study has reported that the evolution of colour vision may
be closely linked with food colour preferences in animals. The
researchers manipulated the food colour preferences of guppy fish
parents and found that their offspring actually inherited these
preferences, and say the study has potential implications for behaviours
mediated by colour vision such as foraging and mating. Using the guppy (Poecilia reticulata), this study has
demonstrated that food colour preferences respond to artificial
selection and are therefore heritable. We not only elicited a response
to selection for behaviour towards a given food colour but we have also
identified differences in the same individuals for foraging behaviour
towards a novel colour, which implies that the evolution of colour
vision may be closely linked with food colour preferences. Our study
has potential implications for behaviours mediated by colour vision such
as foraging and mating.