how do bugs eyes work….specifically flies and dragonflies. Like what do they actually see and how does it work?
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On a similar subject, a question that I often think about. Some insects have great eyesight, with highly refined ‘hardware’. The question I think about is the ‘software’ behind it. How do they process the information they receive from their eyes? Are they able to think about what they are seeing and calculate what to do next, or is it entirely instinctive? If they see something moving are they able to identify it as a predator or potential food before deciding to run or attack, or are they entirely pre-programmed reflexes?
Some insects and arachnids can carry out highly specialised tasks, I watched a spider spinning a highly intricate web and tried to read about it. Apparently they don’t “know” that they are doing it, it’s entirely instinctive in the same way that we breathe without thinking about it. I just find this really hard to comprehend through the eyes of a human, is there really no thought or emotional responses? At what point in the Tree of Life did animals evolve the ability to make decisions and have abstract thoughts?
It’s an incredibly well studied field, but this makes it a minefield when trying to find papers and journals because there are so many and some directly contradict each other.
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