The Adaptive Spectrum: Exploring Color Vision in Primates

I’m excited to share my latest published research, “The Adaptive Spectrum: Evolutionary Factors of Color Vision Diversity in Primates,” featured in the International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR) (Impact Factor: 7.101, July 2025).

This project grew out of my passion for evolutionary biology and sensory adaptation, and it dives deep into how genetics, ecology, and behavior interact to shape color vision diversity in primates after taking a class at my local university where I was able to really dive into the intricacies with my professor.

What I Explored

In this paper, I examined:

• Genetic pathways: How opsin gene variation drives trichromatic, dichromatic, or even polymorphic vision.

• Ecological trade-offs: Why trichromatic vision benefits primates for fruit foraging or social signaling, while dichromatic vision remains advantageous in low-light or high-camouflage environments.

• Behavioral dynamics: The role of vision in social communication, such as status displays and mate selection in species like mandrills or rhesus macaques.

• Evolutionary convergence: How similar ecological pressures led to independent evolutions of trichromacy in different primate lineages.

My Role in the Research

This was an independent research project where I:

• Conducted a comprehensive literature review across genetics, morphology, and behavioral ecology.

• Synthesized findings from fossil data, gene mapping, and retinal physiology to present a multi-layered perspective on color vision evolution.

• Developed the central argument that primate vision is not a linear “progression” toward complexity, but rather a context-driven adaptation shaped by each species’ environment.

Read my paper here: https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR25728145544