Abstract
Our visual world is greatly reduced at night. Spatial and temporal resolution are poor, contrast sensitivity is diminished, and colour vision is totally absent1, as rod photoreceptors are used rather than the cone photoreceptors that operate during the day. Many aspects of rod vision, including spectral, contrast and flicker sensitivity, have been studied in detail1, but motion perception has been largely ignored2. We find that motion perception using rods is impaired, with moving objects appearing to be slower than they are during cone vision.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Hess, R. F., Sharpe, L. T. & Nordby, K. Night Vision: Basic, Clinical and Applied Aspects (Cambridge Univ. Press, 1990).
Takeuchi, T. & De Valois, K. K. Vision Res. 37, 745–755 (1998).
Sharpe, L. T. & Nordby, K. in Night Vision: Basic, Clinical and Applied Aspects (eds Hess, R. F., Sharpe, L. T. & Nordby, K.). 335-389 (Cambridge Univ. Press, 1990).
Kohl, S. et al. Nature Genet. 19, 257–259 (1998).
Sharpe, L. T., Stockman, A., Jägle, H. & Nathans, J. in Colour Vision: From Genes to Perception (eds Gegenfurtner, K. R. & Sharpe, L. T. ) 3-48 (Cambridge Univ. Press, 1999).
Cavanagh, P. & Anstis, S. Vision Res. 31, 2109–2148 (1991).
Thompson, P. Vision Res. 22, 377–380 (1982).
Hawken, M. J., Gegenfurtner, K. R. & Tang, C. Nature 367, 268–270 (1994).
Barlow, H. B. J. Physiol. 141, 337–350 (1958).
Snowden, R. J., Stimpson, N. & Ruddle, R. A. Nature 392, 450 (1998).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gegenfurtner, K., Mayser, H. & Sharpe, L. Seeing movement in the dark. Nature 398, 475–476 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1038/19004
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/19004
- Springer Nature Limited