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Third Eye
Topic Started: Feb 15 2010, 02:41 PM (845 Views)
Venatosaurus
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HAUS OF SPEC
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Now, it should be common knowledge that the "Third Eye" truly exists, the Parietal eye. It is found in several Lizards, Frogs, Lampreys, some species of Fish and Sharks, salamanders, some arthropods (though they are analogolous to the Parietal Eye), with the most developed, found in the Tuatara, with with small lens and retina.

Now what if natural selection favored the 'third-eye' , and early Vertebrates developed truly complex third eyes. How would this affect evolution and extinction, and what could today look like...I have a twisted vision, but what do you think ?!

Go on and speculate !



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Venatosaurus
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Good job everybody ! Vertebrates would have evolved along completely different lines...and taller longer skulls gives me the sense of eerie alien-like animals !



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Iowanic
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If the third eye was moved to the back of the skull; would said critters really need a neck(Or more exactly, a long neck)?

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Holben
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Rumbo a la Victoria

I'm worried about optic nerves. Unless the optic brain region moved to the top of the cerebrum, long nerves would have to reach over or under the brain.
Time flows like a river. Which is to say, downhill. We can tell this because everything is going downhill rapidly. It would seem prudent to be somewhere else when we reach the sea.

"It is the old wound my king. It has never healed."
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Margaret Pye
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But optic nerves travel a long way under the brain anyway, or at least human ones do.

Necks would still be useful for fine positioning of the head, e.g. for eating.
My speculative dinosaur project. With lots of fluff, parental care and mammalian-level intelligence, and the odd sophont.
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Holben
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Rumbo a la Victoria

The extra eye would extend the field of view, so prey could see a large 'horizon bar' very clearly but most of the lower and upper regions would be blurry. Predators would probably concentrate more on small pack hunters or swooping eagle-analogues.
Time flows like a river. Which is to say, downhill. We can tell this because everything is going downhill rapidly. It would seem prudent to be somewhere else when we reach the sea.

"It is the old wound my king. It has never healed."
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colddigger
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Joke's over! Love, Parasky
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the optic nerves don't have to be symmetrical, the middle one can move to the side and connect to the brain near where the left or right eye connect...
Oh Fine.

Oh hi you! Why don't you go check out the finery that is SGP??

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