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Chitons can see?

Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 12:12 pm
by Dusty2

Re: Chitons can see?

Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 4:30 pm
by LittleGoat
I was reading about this yesterday. Absolutely fascinating how things evolved to adapt. What's better if you never have to focus on something? Good, depth perceiving eyes that focus in only one direction like we have? Hundreds of eyes that are focus poor but allow them to see all around without compromising their defense? Absolutely amazing...

Re: Chitons can see?

Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 10:02 pm
by Chenari
That is really cool! Makes you wonder what they could evolve into given a few billion years, if they followed a genetic path like ours.

Re: Chitons can see?

Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 8:14 am
by Greg Jensen
The article is a little misleading, because only one Family within the chitons has these eyes. Unfortunately, none of our local chitons are in that Family- so the lined chiton (picked no doubt for its colors) shouldn't be featured.
Our chitons do have light-sensitive structures called aesthetes but they don't have lenses, so are not image-forming eyes like those of the chiton in the article.