Sunday, February 12, 2006

"Colour vision may have evolved in primates to help them pick up on changes in blood and oxygen concentrations beneath the skin's surface, giving access to emotional cues, a new analysis proposes.

"Previously research has suggested that primates -- the only mammals with the ability to see in colour -- evolved this facility to spot ripe fruits or nutritional leaves."

(Update: Some readers have pointed out that primates aren't necessarily the only mammals with color vision.)