Skip to main content

How has the structure of human and animal eyes influenced how each live?

Rather than the structure of our eyes influencing the way we and animals live, it would be more accurate to say the way we live/the way we engage with our surroundings has influenced the way our eyes are structured. 


Human eyes are adapted for creatures living in tall grass-lands and forests where differentiation between distance, color, and movement were crucial to our survival as a species. Unlike many animals that lived in a similar environment,...

Rather than the structure of our eyes influencing the way we and animals live, it would be more accurate to say the way we live/the way we engage with our surroundings has influenced the way our eyes are structured. 


Human eyes are adapted for creatures living in tall grass-lands and forests where differentiation between distance, color, and movement were crucial to our survival as a species. Unlike many animals that lived in a similar environment, our eyes and brains became adapted to finding movement and differences in color which allowed us to spot predators that may have been camouflaged in the tall grasses. Our eyes however didn't need to see extreme differences in color or even different wave-lengths, such as mantis shrimp which can see ultraviolet light, or raptors whose eyes are extremely specialized for spotting very small prey from hundreds of feet in the air. This leaves us being very good at detecting the "average" spectrum of red, blues, and greens, but not much else.


Animals had to make similar adaptations. Many predatory fish for example, rather than develop extremely detailed vision, swim low and look upwards using the light trickling down from the surface. If they see a shape moving that is a different color than surface, they will investigate. On the other hand, most deep sea fish have eyes that have no cone capable of detecting red light, as red light is the first wavelength to completely disperse in the upper waters and won't make it into the deep oceans. Some predatory fish use this to their advantage and have specialized red glowing anglers that only they can detect, leaving their prey shining brightly and completely unaware. 


In recap, the way our eyes and brains interpret light do have an effect on the way we live, but our environments and the way we and other animals survive has had much more of an impact on the way our eyes worked best. Evolution has guaranteed most species the best eyes possible for each of their unique survival conditions. Hope this helped!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more

What gift did Della buy for Jim and why in "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry?

Della buys Jim a watch fob because his watch is his most prized possession. Della and Jim Young do not have much money. Despite this, Della really wants to buy Jim a good Christmas present. She is even willing to sell her hair to get him a nice gift. This is ironic because we learn Della and Jim both highly prize her hair. Now, there were two possessions of the James Dillingham Youngs in which... Della buys Jim a watch fob because his watch is his most prized possession. Della and Jim Young do not have much money. Despite this, Della really wants to buy Jim a good Christmas present. She is even willing to sell her hair to get him a nice gift. This is ironic because we learn Della and Jim both highly prize her hair. Now, there were two possessions of the James Dillingham Youngs in which they both took a mighty pride. One was Jim's gold watch that had been his father's and his grandfather's. The other was Della's hair.  Della is still willing to sell her hair so she can b...
Post a Comment
Read more

Explain and discuss how the definitions of freedom change for the nation, for the freedmen and for southern whites after the Civil War.

After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to... After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to belong to without being ordered to attend religious services (or not to attend) by their mast...
Post a Comment
Read more