Sensory Biology of Sea Turtles
99
months of no exposure, the animals were placed in the same multipartitioned arena
as in the previous study (Grassman et al., 1984). The only group of turtles that spent
significantly more time in the chemically treated compartment, as opposed to the
untreated compartment, was the group that was exposed to the chemicals both in
the nest and in the water. These results suggested that not only the environment of
the nest, but also the chemosensory environment of the water are important in the
imprinting process (Grassman and Owens, 1987).
3.4.4 CONCLUDING REMARKS
Many of the inferences made from anatomical studies were based on the assumption
that an air-breathing vertebrate could not detect chemicals underwater using olfaction. Behavioral studies have proved that this is not the case for sea turtles. The
anatomy of the sea turtle olfactory system should be revisited with the behavioral
data in mind.
REFERENCES
Ali, M.A. and Klyne, M.A., Vision in Vertebrates, Plenum Press, New York, 1985.
Bartol, S.M., Morphological, electrophysiological, and behavioral investigation of visual
acuity of the juvenile loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), dissertation, College of
William and Mary, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Gloucester Point, VA, 1999.
Bartol, S.M., Musick, J.A., and Lenhardt, M., Auditory evoked potentials of the loggerhead
sea turtle (Caretta caretta), Copeia, 3, 836, 1999.
Bartol, S.M. and Musick, J.A., Morphology and topographical organization of the retina of
juvenile loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta), Copeia, 3, 718, 2001.
Bartol, S.M., Musick, J.A., and Ochs, A.L., Visual acuity thresholds of juvenile loggerhead
sea turtles (Caretta caretta): an electrophysiological approach, J. Comp. Physiol. A.,
187, 953, 2002.
Brown, K.T., A linear area centralis extending across the turtle retina and stabilized to the
horizon by non-visual cues, Vision Res., 9, 1053, 1969.
Bullock, T.H. et al., Dynamic properties of visual evoked potentials in the tectum of cartilaginous and bony fishes, with neuroethological implications, J. Exp. Zool. Suppl., 5,
142, 1991.
Carr, A. and Ogren, L., The ecology and migration of sea turtles. 4. The green turtle in the
Caribbean Sea, Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. Bull., 121, 1, 1960.
Copenhaver, W.M., Bailey’s Textbook of Histology, Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, 1964.
Corwin, J.T., Bullock, T.H., and Schweitzer, J., The auditory brain stem response in five
vertebrate classes, Electroenceph. Clin. Neurophysiol., 54, 629, 1982.
Daniel, R.S. and Smith, K.U., The sea-approach behavior of the neonate loggerhead turtle
(Caretta caretta), J. Comp. Physiol. Psychol., 40, 413, 1947.
Davson, H., The Physiology of the Eye, Academic Press, New York, 1972.
Ehrenfeld, D.W., The role of vision in the sea-finding orientation of the green turtle (Chelonia
mydas). 2. Orientation mechanism and range of spectral sensitivity, Anim. Behav.,
16, 281, 1968.
Ehrenfeld, D.W. and Carr A., The role of vision in the sea-finding orientation of the green
turtle (Chelonia mydas), Anim. Behav., 15, 25, 1967.
1123 book.book Page 99 Monday, November 11, 2002 11:11 AM
99
months of no exposure, the animals were placed in the same multipartitioned arena
as in the previous study (Grassman et al., 1984). The only group of turtles that spent
significantly more time in the chemically treated compartment, as opposed to the
untreated compartment, was the group that was exposed to the chemicals both in
the nest and in the water. These results suggested that not only the environment of
the nest, but also the chemosensory environment of the water are important in the
imprinting process (Grassman and Owens, 1987).
3.4.4 CONCLUDING REMARKS
Many of the inferences made from anatomical studies were based on the assumption
that an air-breathing vertebrate could not detect chemicals underwater using olfaction. Behavioral studies have proved that this is not the case for sea turtles. The
anatomy of the sea turtle olfactory system should be revisited with the behavioral
data in mind.
REFERENCES
Ali, M.A. and Klyne, M.A., Vision in Vertebrates, Plenum Press, New York, 1985.
Bartol, S.M., Morphological, electrophysiological, and behavioral investigation of visual
acuity of the juvenile loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), dissertation, College of
William and Mary, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Gloucester Point, VA, 1999.
Bartol, S.M., Musick, J.A., and Lenhardt, M., Auditory evoked potentials of the loggerhead
sea turtle (Caretta caretta), Copeia, 3, 836, 1999.
Bartol, S.M. and Musick, J.A., Morphology and topographical organization of the retina of
juvenile loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta), Copeia, 3, 718, 2001.
Bartol, S.M., Musick, J.A., and Ochs, A.L., Visual acuity thresholds of juvenile loggerhead
sea turtles (Caretta caretta): an electrophysiological approach, J. Comp. Physiol. A.,
187, 953, 2002.
Brown, K.T., A linear area centralis extending across the turtle retina and stabilized to the
horizon by non-visual cues, Vision Res., 9, 1053, 1969.
Bullock, T.H. et al., Dynamic properties of visual evoked potentials in the tectum of cartilaginous and bony fishes, with neuroethological implications, J. Exp. Zool. Suppl., 5,
142, 1991.
Carr, A. and Ogren, L., The ecology and migration of sea turtles. 4. The green turtle in the
Caribbean Sea, Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. Bull., 121, 1, 1960.
Copenhaver, W.M., Bailey’s Textbook of Histology, Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, 1964.
Corwin, J.T., Bullock, T.H., and Schweitzer, J., The auditory brain stem response in five
vertebrate classes, Electroenceph. Clin. Neurophysiol., 54, 629, 1982.
Daniel, R.S. and Smith, K.U., The sea-approach behavior of the neonate loggerhead turtle
(Caretta caretta), J. Comp. Physiol. Psychol., 40, 413, 1947.
Davson, H., The Physiology of the Eye, Academic Press, New York, 1972.
Ehrenfeld, D.W., The role of vision in the sea-finding orientation of the green turtle (Chelonia
mydas). 2. Orientation mechanism and range of spectral sensitivity, Anim. Behav.,
16, 281, 1968.
Ehrenfeld, D.W. and Carr A., The role of vision in the sea-finding orientation of the green
turtle (Chelonia mydas), Anim. Behav., 15, 25, 1967.
1123 book.book Page 99 Monday, November 11, 2002 11:11 AM