The astonishing diversity of vision: Introduction to an issue of Vision Research on animal vision

Abstract

Trapped behind our own eyes we have a strong feeling of looking out at reality, perceiving the world with the detail and colours conveyed by the spatial and spectral sampling of our central visual field. Other animals see different worlds; most invertebrates would be classified as legally blind, but they are visually adept, and they often outperform us with ultraviolet sensitivity and polarization vision. Some animal eyes serve many purposes, whereas others are specialised. The marvellous diversity of animal eyes reveals how natural selection shapes vision, and has led to general principles. Here one name comes to mind: Michael F. Land of the University of Sussex, known to friends and colleagues as Mike. Taking an evolutionary and ecological perspective for over half a century he has opened new fields, discovering unexpected eyes and visual functions, and finding general principles. Mike Land explains the physics and optics of vision with the clarity that comes from deep understanding. This issue of Vision Research celebrates Mike Land’s lifetime in science.