The Eyes of Anomalocaris

Anomalocaris had two compound eyes, which were made up of lots of little eyes. Each eye consisted of at least 16,000 individual hexagonal lenses. The eyes of Anomalocaris were able to tell friend or foe and detect features of the surrounding environment. Scientists have discovered that the eyes were most often on either side of the mouth, but sometimes either nearer the front of the head or further back on the head. The eyes were 2-3 centimeters long and were shaped like a pear, which may not seem very big, but scientists say that Anomalocaris’ eyes were larger than any other animal’s eyes who lived in the same area as Anomalocaris. Not only that, but Anomalocaris, in proportion to its size, had some of the sharpest and largest eyes in history. John Paterson from the University of New England, Armidale, adds, “It would have had close to 360 degree vision.”

References

Anomalocaris. (2014, August 10). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21:46, September 18, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Anomalocaris&oldid=620653876

Gon, S., III. (n.d.). The Anomalocarid Bauplan. Retrieved September 18, 2014, from Anomalocaris Homepage website: http://www.trilobites.info/background3.html

History.com Staff. (2011, December 7). First Super Predator Was a Hawk-Eyed Shrimp, Study Shows. Retrieved September 18, 2014, from HISTORY website: http://www.history.com/news/first-super-predator-was-a-hawk-eyed-shrimp-study-shows

Yong, E. (2011, December 7). The sharp eyes of Anomalocaris, a top predator that lived half a billion years ago. Retrieved September 18, 2014, from Discover Magazine website: http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2011/12/07/anomalocaris-sharp-eyes-predator/#.VBtNYEtDuMK