Ecological trait differences are associated with gene expression in the primary visual cortex of primates

Although it is well established that primates display diversity in color vision and various ecological specializations, it is not understood how visual system characteristics and ecological adaptations may be associated with gene expression levels within the primary visual cortex (V1). We performed RNA-Seq on V1 samples from 28 individuals, representing 13 species of primates, including hominoids, cercopithecoids, and platyrrhines. These results demonstrate species-specific and trait-dependent differences in gene expression in the visual cortex across primate species.