Paleoinspired Vision: From Exploring Colour Vision Evolution to Inspiring Camera Design

TL;DR

The work presents a paleoinspired vision framework that models retinal transduction via an opsin layer parameterised by Gaussian spectral sensitivities and optimized through evolutionary-constrained learning to trace colour-vision evolution from vertebrates to primates. It couples this framework with an MiT-based encoder and a segmentation decoder, enabling rapid, GPU-accelerated simulations of evolutionary trajectories and quantitative testing of paleontological hypotheses. Beyond biology, it demonstrates task-specific camera-design workflows by optimising spectral filters for Martian imaging and cancer detection, yielding minimalist, manufacturing-friendly sensor configurations with improved segmentation performance. The approach offers a scalable bridge between evolutionary biology and practical imaging systems, with potential applications in autonomous exploration and implantable visual technologies.

Abstract

The evolution of colour vision is captivating, as it reveals the adaptive strategies of extinct species while simultaneously inspiring innovations in modern imaging technology. In this study, we present a simplified model of visual transduction in the retina, introducing a novel opsin layer. We quantify evolutionary pressures by measuring machine vision recognition accuracy on colour images shaped by specific opsins. Building on this, we develop an evolutionary conservation optimisation algorithm to reconstruct the spectral sensitivity of opsins, enabling mutation-driven adaptations to to more effectively spot fruits or predators. This model condenses millions of years of evolution within seconds on GPU, providing an experimental framework to test long-standing hypotheses in evolutionary biology , such as vision of early mammals, primate trichromacy from gene duplication, retention of colour blindness, blue-shift of fish rod and multiple rod opsins with bioluminescence. Moreover, the model enables speculative explorations of hypothetical species, such as organisms with eyes adapted to the conditions on Mars. Our findings suggest a minimalist yet effective approach to task-specific camera filter design, optimising the spectral response function to meet application-driven demands. The code will be made publicly available upon acceptance.

Figures (6)

• Figure 1: The evolution history from vertebrates to primate lineage.
• Figure 2: Illustration of evolutionary conservation optimisation.
• Figure 3: Reconstruction of the gene duplication process in primates.
• Figure 4: Blue-shift.
• Figure 5: Architecture of the network.