The Evolution of the Eye from Algae and Jellyfish to Humans: How Vision Adapts to Environment

This book offers a contextual analysis of the deviations and similarities in cross species eye structures. It questions the role of evolutionary processes such as random mutations, and genetic control mechanisms. The eye is the sensory organ upon which vision is entirely dependent and ranges in complexity from the simple eyespot in some algae (e.g. Euglena) to the highly intricate mammalian camera-like eye. The diversity of eyes as occurs in the different forms of the multifaceted compound eyes of insects and the mammalian single globular-shaped eyes has made it difficult to find any evolutionary continuity although their basic structure (cornea, lens retina) is similar. Indeed, the eyespot in some organisms such as the single cell marine dinoflagellate Warnowiidae resembles a mammalian camera-like eye that far exceeds its usefulness. An objective in the author's work has been to explore how such hitherto unexplained evolutionary transformations may have occurred. Multiple factors are operative and in the marine environment the camera-like eye of the Warnowiidae can now be attributed to symbiotic interspecies transfer of eye genes. Of greater significance and applicable to all animal life, are recent discoveries of interfering RNAs [ribonucleic acids] and epigenetics. As described in the text these offer a means whereby visual and other sensory experiences are genomically and inheritably programmed into cell memory and over extended time and many generations can provide regulated and environmentally-adapted species behavior.