Mastodawn

Why #vertebrate #eyes so different from those of other animals?
A new hypothesis proposes that our ancestors lost their eyes, then rebuilt them.
“Vertebrate eyes are so fundamentally different from the lateral eyes of other animal groups,” Dan-Eric Nilsson, expert in eye #evolution. “Hey difference is the identity of the main photoreceptor, which is of ciliary nature in the vertebrate eye but rhabdomeric in other animal groups, such as arthropods and cephalopods,” he adds
https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/03/the-vertebrate-eye-may-have-begun-as-a-cyclops/

Why are vertebrate eyes so different from those of other animals?

A new hypothesis proposes that our ancestors lost their eyes, then rebuilt them.

Ars Technica

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MathiasTCK.bsky.social Mar 23

" For fish and birds, this is described as gradual mouth gaping, staying open for at least three seconds and subsequently a rapid closure of the mouth. Almost all #vertebrate animals, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and even fish, experience yawning. "

Danroid Mar 19

office #doodles for sanity. #human? #alien? #vertebrate? #sketch #fountainpen #draw #ballpoint #markers #whiteout #highlighter

Stefan F. Wirth Mar 2

RE: https://mastodon.social/@sflorg/116131363356930077

Eyes, as light-sensing organs of the #lens #eye type, have #evolved independently multiple times in the animal kingdom. But what did a representative of the early #vertebrate lineage look like? According to G. Kafetzis et al. (2026), a worm-like #ancestor possessed #medianeyes bring #homologous to the modern #pinealgland of the #brain. Published in #CurrentBiology. #evolution

#Reference
G. Kafetzis et al. (2026),
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2025.12.028

Benjamin Carr, Ph.D. 👨🏻‍💻🧬Feb 27

#Eyes of the world's longest-living #vertebrate, the #GreenlandShark, show little #ageing
Greenland #shark (Somniosus microcephalus) can live for up to 400 years in the chilly North Atlantic and Arctic waters, making it one of the longest-living #vertebrates on Earth. And according to new research its seemingly undead eyes are fully functioning and barely deteriorate even after a century. Unravelling the shark's anti-ageing secrets could benefit human eye health.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2026-01-10/eyes-dont-age-for-greenland-shark/106019818

Greenland shark eyes may hold anti-ageing secrets

The Greenland shark is thought to live for about 400 years but somehow its eyes appear to barely deteriorate, according to a new study that has implications for human health.

NIOO-KNAW Feb 13

New publication: Changes in #phenology mediate #vertebrate #population responses to #temperature globally, by @stefanvriend and others.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-68172-8

TKSST • seethis.tv 🌈🪐✨Jan 21

🐭🧠 The common #shrew is a tiny #vertebrate with a bizarre survival strategy called Dehnel’s phenomenon. To save #energy during lean #winter months, these #animals physically shrink their skulls and #brains, only to regrow them when #spring arrives.

👉 https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/mammals/common-shrew-shrink

#neuroscience #evolution #nature #science #mammals #research #discovery #education