We’ve all seen the thin vertical slits of a snake’s eye. And the weird, rectangular pupils of a goat or sheep. But why do animal eyes differ so wildly?

Wired takes us on an in-depth journey into the world of animal eyes, and how they’ve evolved and differentiated so much over time. 👁 

It’s fascinating to see the range of specialties that have evolved, and how diverse sight has become in our complex web of life.

From mollusks to mammals, the world of eyes is fascinating.
A grazer like a zebra has rectangular pupil that lets them scan the horizon for predators.
A predator like a big cat tends to have vertical slit pupils for pinpointing prey.

Check out the video below to see this fascinating tree of life, from an eyeball perspective.

Eye shapes have evolved over time.
image via Wired

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Author

Ben VanderVeen is the founder and editor of Moss & Fog, one of the web’s longest-running visual culture destinations. Since 2009, he’s been finding and framing the most beautiful, surprising, and thought-provoking work in art, architecture, design, and nature — reaching over 325,000 readers each month. He lives in Portland, Oregon.

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