Tests show Arctic reindeer 'see in UV' (BBC)

[eppur_se_muova]

By Neil Bowdler
Science reporter, BBC News

Arctic reindeer can see beyond the "visible" light spectrum into the ultra-violet region, according to new research by an international team.

They say tests on reindeer showed that the animal does respond to UV stimuli, unlike humans.

The ability might enable them to pick out food and predators in the "UV-rich" Arctic atmosphere, and to retain visibility in low light.

Details are published in the The Journal of Experimental Biology.
***
The researchers believe UV vision could enable the reindeer to distinguish food and predators in the "white-out" of the Arctic winter and the twilight of spring and autumn.
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more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13529152

[xchrom]

1. & helps Santa! Nt

[starroute]

2. Yeah -- with UV vision, who needs Rudolph's nose?

[FiveGoodMen]

3. That's for when you need to see in IR

[dimbear]

4. The human retina is sensitive to UV, but UV is filtered out by the lens and cornea.

Evidently there is some evolutionary advantage to not seeing in UV for us. Disco?

[Thor_MN]

5. So Scrooges should paint wolves in black light paints on their roofs?