Final answer:
In bright light, the perception of black color indicates that none of the cone photoreceptor types (L, M, or S cones) have been significantly stimulated, as a black surface absorbs most light and reflects minimal light for cones to detect.
Step-by-step explanation:
When one perceives the color black in bright light conditions, it is because none of the cone photoreceptor types have been significantly stimulated. In the vertebrate retina, there are two types of photoreceptors: rods and cones. The three types of cones - L, M, and S - are sensitive to long, medium, and short wavelengths of light respectively and provide us with our rich color vision.
In bright light conditions, a surface that appears black does so because it absorbs most of the light, rather than reflecting it, thus minimal light reaches the cones and very little to no cone activity occurs. This lack of sufficient stimulus results in the perception of black, as the absence of reflected light means there is no color for the cones to detect. Essentially, cones are responsible for color vision in bright light, but when they are not activated, we perceive black.