In the animal kingdom, due to natural selection, all living things have unique eyes that adapt to the living environment. The eyes of carnivores are in front of their heads, and they can observe the same thing with two eyes at the same time to get a three-dimensional image, and accurately locate the position, speed and distance of the target. In the process of hunting;
Herbivores usually have eyes on both sides of their heads, and they can also observe things that are not in front of them at the same time. This has the advantages of large observation area, convenient search for food and avoidance of natural enemies.
A study this week found out why 2 14 land animals have different types of pupils. For example, goats' pupils are horizontal, while cats' pupils are largely vertical. It seems that the biggest trend is to judge whether a creature is a carnivore. Although vertical and circular pupils are basically carnivores, horizontal pupils are basically herbivores.
Martin Banks, a visual scientist and professor of optics at the University of California, Berkeley, made the following suggestions: "For animals that move around day and night like domestic cats, long and narrow pupils can provide dynamic range to help them adjust the light in dim light and strong noon sun."
Martin Banks also believes that this hypothesis cannot explain why some animals have horizontal pupils and some animals have vertical pupils. It is pointed out that vertical pupils can allow light to enter the eyes in a wider range. For these animals, the first key visual requirement is to find approaching predators. This usually comes from the ground, so they need to see the panoramic view of the ground and the smallest blind spot.
Perhaps the strangest eye-centered defense function is the ability of the eyes to rotate. According to research, animals such as sheep, goats and horses can turn their eyes 50 degrees. When animals bow their heads to eat grass, this rotation helps to maintain a wide horizontal line of sight and prevent prey from approaching.
At the same time, the study found that the closer predators are to the ground, the closer their pupils are to the vertical bar or horizontal bar. Big cats like lions and tigers have round pupils, while kittens have vertical pupils.