The discovery of a bristle worm with incredibly sharp vision has surprised scientists. These marine worms have eyes that are comparable to those of mammals and octopuses. Researchers believe that these worms may communicate using UV light that is only visible to their own species. The advanced vision of these primitive creatures has helped to settle a long-standing debate about the evolution of eyes.The marine worms have a unique way of communicating using UV light that is only visible to their own species. Their advanced vision has helped to resolve a long-standing debate about the evolution of eyes.
The Vanadis bristle worm has unusually large eyes, proportionally speaking. If human eyes were as large in proportion to our bodies as the ones of this Mediterranean marine worm, we would need a large, sturdy wheelbarrow and strong arms to carry around the extra weight.
Overall, the worm’s eyes weigh about twenty times as much as the rest of its head and seem disproportionately large.
Researchers have discovered an intriguing feature of the tiny and see-through marine creature. It seems to have two giant, shiny red balloons attached to its body.
The Vanadis bristle worms, also known as polychaetes, are commonly found around the Italian island of Ponza, located to the west of Naples. Similar to the island’s summertime revelers, these worms are nocturnal and remain hidden during the daytime. So, what exactly do these polychaetes do with their large eyes after dark, and what purpose do they serve?
Anders Garm, a neuro- and marine biologist from the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Biology, was intrigued by this question. He decided to prioritize this study over other research plans.dive in and try to find out. He became interested as soon as his colleague Michael Bok at Lund University showed him a recording of the bristle worm.
“We decided to investigate why a nearly invisible, transparent worm that feeds at night has evolved to have large eyes. Our first goal was to determine if the large eyes give the worm good vision,” explains Michael Bok, who, along with Anders Garm, is the author of a new research article that addresses this question.
The research has revealed that the Vanadis worm has excellent and sophisticated eyesight. Studies have shown that this worm can utilize its eyes toThe ability to see small objects and track their movements is a fascinating characteristic that is typically only found in vertebrates, arthropods (such as insects and spiders), and cephalopods (such as octopus and squid). However, recent research has shown that a certain worm possesses an incredibly advanced and detailed view, surpassing the capabilities of other groups. The worm’s exceptional vision is comparable to that of mice or rats, despite its simple organism and tiny brain. This sets the worm’s eyes and vision apart as truly unique.The Vanadis bristle worm has attracted the attention of researcher Anders Garm due to its unique combination of factors within the animal kingdom. Garm’s research focuses on understanding how simple nervous systems can have complex functions, and the bristle worm is a prime example of this.
The researchers are currently investigating the reasons behind the worm’s exceptional eyesight. Despite being transparent, the worm’s eyes need to register light in order to function, indicating that they cannot be inherently transparent. This suggests that there are evolutionary trade-offs involved in the development of their eyesight.It seems that the Vanadis must have made some sacrifices in order to have visible eyes, but the benefits of evolutionary development must outweigh the drawbacks. It is still unclear what advantages the worms have gained, especially since they are nocturnal creatures that are usually hidden during the day, when eyes are most effective.
Anders Garm explains, “No one has ever seen the worm during the day, so we don’t know where it hides. So, we cannot rule out that its eyes are used during the day as well. What we do know is that its most important activities, like finding food and mating, occur at night. So, it is likely that this is when its eyes are important.”
One reason for this could be that these worms have a different range of vision than humans do. They can see ultraviolet light, which is invisible to us. Garm suggests that this suggests that their eyes are meant to see bioluminescent signals in the dark ocean at night.
He also mentioned, “Our theory is that the worms themselves emit light and communicate with each other using it. Using blue or green light for bioluminescence could attract predators. However, if the worms use UV light instead, they would remain undetected by other animals.””Other than those of its own species. Our theory is that they have developed keen UV vision to potentially communicate with a secret language related to mating,” explains Garm. “It’s also possible that they are searching for UV bioluminescent prey. This discovery is truly thrilling because UV bioluminescence has not been observed in any other animal. We hope to present this as the first example.”
The discovery is not only exciting for robotics research, but also for evolutionary history. In light of this, Anders Garm and his research colleagues have begun collaborating with…h robotic researchers from the Maersk Mc-Kinney Møller Institute at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) are seeking inspiration from biology to advance technology. They are united in their efforts to explore the potential of understanding the mechanisms behind animal eyes and translating that knowledge into technological advancements.
“We are collaborating with robotics researchers to unravel the mystery of how animals with relatively simple brains can effectively process the vast amount of information captured by their large eyes. This indicates that there are highly efficient information processing methods within their nervous systems. If we can uncover and replicate these methods, it could lead to significant technological advancements.”These processes could potentially be incorporated into computer chips and utilized for controlling robots,” states Ander Garm. He also points out that Vanadis’ eyes are of interest in evolutionary theory because they could potentially help resolve a long-standing debate about the origins of eyes. This debate centers around whether eyes evolved just once and then diversified into the various forms we see today, or if they evolved multiple times independently throughout evolutionary history. The eyes of Vanadis are constructed in a simple manner yet possess advanced functionality. Despite this, they have evolved relatively quickly in evolutionary terms.The eye has evolved over a relatively short period of time, just a few million years, suggesting that it developed independently of human eyes. This challenges the notion that complex structures like the eye could only have been created by a higher power. The Vanadis worm’s simple and rapidly evolving eye design is just one example of how complex vision can develop in a short time frame.
Evolutionary timelines are relatively short, spanning only a few million years, yet the development of eyes is considered to be incredibly advanced.
The origin of eyes has been a topic of much discussion since Darwin first proposed his theory of evolution in On the Origin of Species. This debate has engaged both religious and non-religious skeptics, as well as researchers in the fields of eye biology and vision.
One of the key debates revolves around whether eyes evolved just once, giving rise to all forms known today, or if they have independently emerged multiple times throughout evolutionary history. Recent research has provided various pieces of evidence to support both theories.
Support for the latter comes from the eyes of the Vanadis worm, which is strong evidence that they developed independently, not from human eyes. This suggests that vision can develop quickly and with high function, as this worm is relatively young in evolutionary terms,” according to Michael Bok.
Darwin and the eye
Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species discusses the remarkable nature of the eye in relation to his theory of evolution by natural selection. He is often quoted by evolutionary scientists.The skeptics are often quoted as saying that it seems absurd to believe that the eye, with all its intricate features for adjusting focus, admitting light, and correcting aberrations, could have been formed through natural selection. However, these quotes often leave out the end of the passage, which acknowledges that if numerous gradations from a perfect and complex eye to a very imperfect and simple one can be shown to exist, and if these variations are useful to the possessor, then reason tells us that it is indeed possible.The Vanadis worm is a large-eyed bristle worm belonging to the polychaeta family. It can be found in various parts of the world and has eyesight comparable to rodents like mice and rats.to use their bioluminescent ability for communication. The Vanadis worm is a type of bristle worm that weighs about 20 times more than the rest of its head. These worms have the ability to see UV light and focus on relatively small objects, allowing them to track them as they move. Additionally, they are nocturnal creatures and researchers believe that they use their eyes for communication during mating and hunting prey. Bioluminescence is a phenomenon in which organisms are able to produce light using their own power. This can be achieved chemically within the body, as seen with glow-worms. If researchers are able to document it, the Vanadis worm could potentially become the first animal to use its bioluminescent ability for communication.UV bioluminescence is used by pelagic polychaetes, which means they naturally create ultraviolet light for communication and other purposes. The research article “High-resolution vision in pelagic polychaetes” published in Current Biology provides further information on this topic.