Why do primates have good eyesight?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the reasons behind the development of good eyesight in primates. Participants explore various hypotheses related to evolutionary advantages, including environmental factors and lifestyle choices, without reaching a consensus on the primary cause.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant challenges the validity of an article suggesting that fear of snakes is a primary reason for primates' good eyesight, proposing instead that there are more practical reasons.
  • Another participant humorously suggests that improved eyesight may be linked to the ability to access internet content, indicating skepticism about traditional explanations.
  • A later reply discusses the evolutionary advantage of having good vision for navigating trees and detecting predators, emphasizing the role of depth perception and cooperative behavior among primates.
  • One participant questions the need for new theories to explain primate vision, arguing that existing explanations related to their environment and dietary needs are sufficient.
  • Another participant humorously engages in wordplay, which diverts from the main topic but reflects the informal nature of the discussion.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of views on the reasons for primates' good eyesight, with no clear consensus reached. Some support traditional theories related to environmental adaptation, while others propose alternative explanations or express skepticism about existing theories.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference various theories and anecdotal evidence without resolving the underlying assumptions or providing definitive conclusions about the evolutionary factors influencing primate vision.

Evo
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No, no, no.

A friend sent this to me and it's just wrong. For one thing, it says dogs can't do brain surgery. Sorry, but my dog aka The Fruitbat" has been performing brain surgery on the cats for two years. He almost killed Dr Foofer. He drills holes in the sides of their heads, but I digress.

Surely there are more practical reasons for primates to have developed good eyesight than a fear of snakes.

Any thoughts?

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/03/opinion/03isbell.html
 
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I'm going to wear my glasses if I'm going to be around any poisonous snakes. I can't think of a better reason to be able to see well. So maybe there's something to this. Personally I don't think it's correct, I think primates got improved sight so they could take advantage of internet porn.
 
tribdog said:
I'm going to wear my glasses if I'm going to be around any poisonous snakes. I can't think of a better reason to be able to see well. So maybe there's something to this. Personally I don't think it's correct, I think primates got improved sight so they could take advantage of internet porn.
Funny, I thought that's why you needed the glasses. :biggrin:
 
well, yeah, but I'm not a primate, I'm a primnine, baby, want to monkey around?
 
Last edited:
Some things never change. :smile: Welcome back!
 
Neither ate nor nine are prime.
 
Hurkyl said:
Neither ate nor nine are prime.
add them together
 
That article is completely demented. Primates developed better eyesight in order to tell good brush from inferior brush.
 
Just a thought - if your band of primates is going to spend a good deal of its time in trees (and avoid climbing all the way down one tree to get to the good fruit, etc in another), you're going to find ways to leap from one tree to another. Natural selection will favor the primates with the best vision, and with the best depth perception (implying steroscopic vision). While many animals can benefit from having their eyes mounted in such a way as to provide the widest field of vision (like most grazing animals), the most successful tree-dwellers would have front-mounted eyes working together, and the successful groups would be those that developed cooperative means of detecting predators and alerting one another of danger to compensate for the poorer peripheral vision of the individuals.
 
  • #10
I'm confused what was wrong with the original theory about tree dwelling and insectivorous lifestyles, that you need to suddenly implant some IMO non corelatory nonsense in there to explain vision. I'd imagine the sort of co-operative hunting that Chimpanzees indulge in is much easier with good vision too, for me all the things that give us good eyesight can already be explained by a primates environment, lifestyle and dietry requirements.
 

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