Читать книгу Bird Senses - Graham R. Martin - Страница 37

Vision first emerged on Earth about 540 million years ago. The first eyes were simple structures able only to register changes in the amount of light falling upon them. However, these simple structures, and the limited information they provided, had a profound influence on the evolution of animals. From a modern perspective these first eyes were game changers, the equivalent of today’s disruptive technologies. It is no exaggeration to suggest that the emergence of eyes changed forever the type, quality and quantity of information that underlies the interactions of animals with their environments, which, of course, includes their interactions with other animals. Ever since the simplest eyes evolved, the gaining of information about the world, its interpretation, and the uses to which it is put, has become increasingly complex and subtle.