Techniques that involve the use of comb-filtered spectra to study human col
our vision have been developed in previous work (Bonnardel, V., Bellemare,
K., Mellon, J.D., 1996. Measurements of human sensitivity to comb-filtered
spectra, Vision Research 36, 2713-2720; Bonnardel, V., Ruderman D.L., Barro
w, H.B., 1997. A fast determination of the Spectral Modulation Sensitivity
Function: a comparison between trichromats and deuteranopes. In: C.R. Cavon
ius led.), Color vision deficiencies XIII. Dordrecht: Kluver 415-424). Thes
e techniques are applied in the present study to measure colour discriminat
ion among deuteranomalous observers and normal trichromats, with the aim of
determining the spectral position of the anomalous cone fundamentals. Resu
lts show that comb-filtered spectra are useful in determining the extent to
which variability in colour discrimination among anomalous and normal tric
hromatic colour observers is accounted for by the spectral properties of ph
otoreceptors. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.