So there's been plenty of speculation about the purpose the oddly shaped heads of hammerheads serve since they were discovered, but it's all pretty much just been conjecture. Various hypotheses have been proposed from the broad head providing additional lift during swimming, perhaps improving their sense of smell, to perhaps improving their field of vision with much disagreement about who's right.
Well there's finally some solid science on the matter and the results are pretty damn cool. There is now proof that hammerhead sharks have substantially better binocular vision (wider binocular field) than other sharks.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091127101034.htm
The team tested the field of view in each shark's eyes by sweeping a weak light in horizontal and vertical arcs around each eye and recorded the eye's electrical activity. Comparing the hammerheads with pointy nosed species, the team found that the scalloped hammerheads had the largest monocular visual field, at an amazing 182 deg., and the bonnethead had a 176 deg. visual field, which was bigger than that of the pointy nosed blacknose and lemon sharks, at 172 deg. and 159 deg., respectively.
But there's more!
Finally, the team factored in the sharks' eye and head movements and found that the forward binocular overlaps rocketed to an impressive 69 deg. for the scalloped hammerheads and 52 deg. for the bonnetheads. Even more surprisingly, the team realised that the bonnethead and scalloped hammerheads have an excellent stereo rear-view: they have a full 360 deg. view of the world.
Of course I'm not suggesting that this is the end of the matter. It's entirely possible there are other significant benefits of the shape of their heads, but it's nice to have some solid facts on the matter.
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that is fucking awesome!
is it possible to seriously use the phrase "Big Pharma" without being a wacky conspiracy theorist
Steam - Talon Valdez :Blizz - Talonious#1860 : Xbox Live & LoL - Talonious Monk @TaloniousMonk Hail Satan
also, that they were shaped that way so that they could make a wake to travel through, and go faster and expend less energy!
I'm very proud.
GoFund The Portland Trans Pride March, or Show It To People, or Else!
No, it's the SR-71 that makes an air-pressure wave and then surfs down it.
Now I wish it also said, "I have stereoscopic rear vision.... bitches."
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
It's totally not me.
Don't they stun fish with it?
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I haven't seen any evidence of this. Not saying it's not possible, just that I'm not aware of any evidence for it.
for one of my classes I took a brief trip to the Royal Ontario Museum
fuckin' love museums. I'm ashamed to say that I've only ever gone as part of school trips and I really want to just go and spend a whole day running around in there but all my friends are fucking losers who don't think that dinosaur skeletons and ancient megafauna and suchlike are interesting
Just fly me up to Canada on your dime
mantis shrimp
mantis shrimp are bad-asses
Pistol Shrimp is proof that if there is a God, he is effing metal as shit.
They have the best eyesight in the world, don't they? Some ridiculously wide spectrum and insane definition, right?
Well there's good news for you and zoom-zip-smash, and there's bad news.
Finding the item was relatively simple:
It was a Sea World Marine Mate.
The bad news is... they don't seem to make any of the nine available animals any more. At least I can't find any evidence of them for sale.
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
...
There are not enough ellipses in the world
kpop appreciation station i also like to tweet some
if we arranged every atom in the universe as ellipses, that would be nearly one percent of the required amount
kpop appreciation station i also like to tweet some
I'm sorry you had to see the horrific crystalline growth that it's acquired on the outer wall. the rest of it is pretty awesome though.
Almost as cool as Macropinna microstoma
Tumblr
They can basically see into forever.
best doesn't really apply
mantis shrimp vision wouldn't be particularly useful for humans, but it is unusual and very interesting
they have very good polarized vision and can see a broad range of wavelengths as well, from ultraviolet to infrared
but that doesn't make their vision best
different creatures have different eyes that are suited to their lifestyle
that's why vision varies so broadly, because there's not a one-size-fits-all solution that works optimally for all animals
no, it's not magic
we just don't understand why it happens that way yet