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[-] Findus_Falke@feddit.org 215 points 1 day ago
[-] protist@mander.xyz 76 points 1 day ago

I'm going to guess as an island species, it had no natural predators, and therefore the evolutionary pressure for it to have a wide field of view did not exist

[-] fristislurper@feddit.nl 22 points 1 day ago

Probably, although there would still need to be some evolutionary pressure for forward facing eyes... I wonder what it is.

[-] AngrySquirrel@lemm.ee 73 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Depth perception is advantageous. It is even beneficial for island goat activities.

With the absence of natural predators, the disadvantages of the narrow field of view are mostly outweighed by the advantages of depth perception .

[-] abies_exarchia@lemm.ee 30 points 1 day ago

Not necessarily, with “genetic drift” random phenotypic changes can happen that have a neutral effect on fitness. So if they don’t need side-facing eyes, then this can just happen randomly. Especially if the sideways eyes are in some way “costly” to maintain

[-] kurwa@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago

If sideways eyes are "costly" compared to forward facing eyes, then that would technically be a push for forward facing.

[-] jol@discuss.tchncs.de 23 points 1 day ago

Or goats just find forward facing eyes to be sexier.

[-] Bear_pile@lemm.ee 4 points 1 day ago

There was an interesting study done with zebra finches. In it they glued fake mohawkes on males and found that females selected them over unaltered males, even though it didn't naturally occur in the species. So there is some precedence for the possibility that the forward facing eyes were simply "sexier".

[-] jol@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 1 day ago

I mean you can do a smoldering sexy look at someone if your eyes face sideways. Makes total sense.

[-] BleatingZombie@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

I've always wondered if there was a term for evolutionary changes that weren't needed!

[-] wischi@programming.dev 6 points 1 day ago

I'm not sure for that specific case, but in the general case there doesn't need to be evolutionary pressure for change. If there is no pressure one way or the other random mutations can (and will over time) cause change without environmental reason (genetic drift).

[-] Num10ck@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

maybe living in caves?

[-] pjwestin@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

I mean, it it has pupils like that, it has a wide field of vision. That's the whole point of rectangular pupils. I would assume that having front-facing eyes would also give it depth perception, but maybe it needed that for making difficult jumps or something?

[-] Reddfugee42@lemmy.world 12 points 1 day ago

Curious to consider that by being an apex consumer, it is a predator by default, even if its prey is flora.

[-] Melatonin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 36 points 1 day ago

It DOES seem menacing

[-] Tippon@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 1 day ago

'There's something out there waiting for us, and it ain't no man'

[-] Agent641@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago

"If it bleats, we can kill it."

[-] WhiskyTangoFoxtrot@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago
[-] Jimmycrackcrack@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 day ago

I can't believe I've never seen this before! This was fantastic!

[-] Tippon@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 1 day ago

That might just be the best thing on the internet :D

[-] D_C@lemm.ee 3 points 1 day ago

"I'm scared, Poncho"

[-] I_Has_A_Hat@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

Eater Goats...

this post was submitted on 23 May 2025
822 points (99.2% liked)

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