Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Visual System01:26

Visual System

564
Light enters the eye through the cornea, a transparent, dome-shaped surface covering the surface of the eyeball that helps to direct and focus incoming light. This light is then channeled toward the pupil, an adjustable opening whose size is controlled by the iris. The iris, a pigmented muscle, regulates the amount of light entering the eye by contracting or dilating the pupil, thereby ensuring optimal light levels for clear vision.
Once through the pupil, the light passes through the lens, a...
564
Vision01:24

Vision

53.1K
Vision is the result of light being detected and transduced into neural signals by the retina of the eye. This information is then further analyzed and interpreted by the brain. First, light enters the front of the eye and is focused by the cornea and lens onto the retina—a thin sheet of neural tissue lining the back of the eye. Because of refraction through the convex lens of the eye, images are projected onto the retina upside-down and reversed.
53.1K
Anatomy of the Eyeball01:20

Anatomy of the Eyeball

6.9K
The eye is a spherical, hollow structure composed of three tissue layers. The outer layer — the fibrous tunic, comprises the sclera — a white structure — and the cornea, which is transparent. The sclera encompasses some of the ocular surface, most of which is not visible. However, the 'white of the eye' is distinctively visible in humans compared to other species. The cornea, a clear covering at the front of the eye, enables light penetration. The eye's middle...
6.9K
Depth Perception and Spatial Vision01:15

Depth Perception and Spatial Vision

617
Depth perception is the ability to perceive objects three-dimensionally. It relies on two types of cues: binocular and monocular. Binocular cues depend on the combination of images from both eyes and how the eyes work together. Since the eyes are in slightly different positions, each eye captures a slightly different image. This disparity between images, known as binocular disparity, helps the brain interpret depth. When the brain compares these images, it determines the distance to an object.
617
Limits to Natural Selection01:38

Limits to Natural Selection

31.2K
Organisms that are well-adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. However, natural selection does not lead to perfectly adapted organisms. Several factors constrain natural selection.
31.2K
Convergent Evolution01:54

Convergent Evolution

27.7K
Evolution shapes the features of organisms over time, ensuring that they are suited for the environments in which they live. Sometimes, selection pressure leads to the rise of similar but unrelated adaptations in organisms with no recent common ancestors, a process known as convergent evolution.
27.7K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Ballistic high-powered spider webs overcome dangerous prey defenses.

Current biology : CB·2026
Same author

Tensile properties of single- and multi-type mixed fibre bundles of spider silk.

Soft matter·2026
Same author

Behavioral tuning of spider silk thread stiffness circumvents biomaterial trade-offs.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same author

The chemosensory toolkit of the cursorial spider Pisaura mirabilis.

Communications biology·2025
Same author

Functional diversity and behavioural use of fibre-producing silk glands in Pholcus phalangioides.

The Journal of experimental biology·2025
Same author

Batesian Mimicry Converges toward Inaccuracy in Myrmecomorphic Spiders.

Systematic biology·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 19, 2025

Visualizing Visual Adaptation
04:43

Visualizing Visual Adaptation

Published on: April 24, 2017

8.9K

Evolution: Decoding the adaptation of multi-eyed visual systems.

Jonas O Wolff1, Daniela C Rößler2

  • 1Evolutionary Biomechanics, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany; School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia.

Current Biology : CB
|July 23, 2024
PubMed
Summary

Many invertebrates have multiple eye pairs. A new study shows spiders adapt eye sizes differently, revealing how developmental modularity balances evolutionary pressures for ecological diversification.

More Related Videos

Automated Charting of the Visual Space of Housefly Compound Eyes
08:34

Automated Charting of the Visual Space of Housefly Compound Eyes

Published on: March 31, 2022

1.9K
Eye Removal in Living Zebrafish Larvae to Examine Innervation-dependent Growth and Development of the Visual System
09:00

Eye Removal in Living Zebrafish Larvae to Examine Innervation-dependent Growth and Development of the Visual System

Published on: February 11, 2022

3.8K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 19, 2025

Visualizing Visual Adaptation
04:43

Visualizing Visual Adaptation

Published on: April 24, 2017

8.9K
Automated Charting of the Visual Space of Housefly Compound Eyes
08:34

Automated Charting of the Visual Space of Housefly Compound Eyes

Published on: March 31, 2022

1.9K
Eye Removal in Living Zebrafish Larvae to Examine Innervation-dependent Growth and Development of the Visual System
09:00

Eye Removal in Living Zebrafish Larvae to Examine Innervation-dependent Growth and Development of the Visual System

Published on: February 11, 2022

3.8K

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Developmental biology
  • Arachnology

Background:

  • Many invertebrates exhibit complex visual systems with multiple eye pairs.
  • The functional significance and adaptive value of redundant visual systems remain an area of active research.
  • Understanding how multiple eyes contribute to ecological diversification is crucial for evolutionary studies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the adaptive significance of multiple eye pairs in invertebrates, specifically spiders.
  • To explore the relationship between eye redundancy, developmental modularity, and ecological diversification.
  • To determine if varied eye size adaptations in spiders reflect differential selective pressures.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of eye morphology across different spider species.
  • Examination of developmental pathways influencing eye size and number.
  • Correlation of eye size variation with ecological niches and behaviors.

Main Results:

  • Spiders display significant variation in the size adaptation of their different eye pairs.
  • Evidence suggests that developmental modularity allows for independent adaptation of eye pairs.
  • Differential selective pressures appear to shape the visual systems of spiders.

Conclusions:

  • Developmental modularity in multi-eyed systems is a key mechanism for balancing selective pressures.
  • Eye redundancy in invertebrates can facilitate ecological diversification through adaptive specialization of individual eye pairs.
  • The study provides insights into the evolution of complex sensory systems in spiders.