Todays trivia: Chiton are a variegated group of marine mollusks that often feature fancy patterns on their backs. They also have numerous tiny beads embedded within their shells. These were originally thought to act as simple light sensors, but several years ago scientists learned that these beads are actual eyes with finely crafted lenses. Not only do they sense light, they’re also capable of detecting shapes and movement to help the chiton avoid predators. With these beads scattered across their backs, the chiton’s shell is essentially a large calcified eye. The tiny individual components are made of aragonite and are actually far less sophisticated than similar-sized eyes on other organisms. Their vision is much less refined than our own, however, they’re perfectly suited to the chiton’s habitat, since they live in churning tide pools. Squishy protein eyes like ours would quickly be eroded into nothingness by rushing waters.
Posted on: Thu, 09 Oct 2014 10:01:59 +0000
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