Fossils confirm Color Vision in Ancient Fish like in Other Modern Vertebrates

[Walter L. Wagner]

http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-fossilized-fish-rods-cones-20141223-story.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vision_in_fishes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution_of_color_vision

It appears that color vision arose some 500,000,000 years BC.

 

[Jake Arave]

http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-fossilized-fish-rods-cones-20141223-story.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vision_in_fishes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution_of_color_vision

It appears that color vision arose some 500,000,000 years BC.

Not entirely surprising - I would assume that a wavelength detection mechanism existed long before what we would even recognize as an "eye". Of course this cannot be backed by the fossil record but it seems the most logical, especially when it is observed that color is an important survival trait to shallow water fish.