The Wide Variety of Eyes Found in the Animal Kingdom

Professor Lars Schmitz of Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California, spoke with Joe Pickard of Wired about the wide variety of shapes and forms that animal eyes take. Shmitz used a colorful tree of life to explain how each animal evolved to have the best eyesight that best suits their specific needs.

Professor Lars Schmitz joins WIRED to guide us through a giant tree of life mapping the evolution of eyes in the animal kingdom: how they work, why they’ve taken the form they have, and the evolutionary advantages they’ve unlocked across species.

The Animal Eyes Tree of Life

image via Wired

We previously wrote about the animals that have the best eyesight

Which Animals Have the Best Eyesight
Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.

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