According to recent study by researchers at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom, working with the American Museum of Natural History, ancient ancestors of modern day arachnids like spiders and scorpions had two sets of eyes, instead of just one. This new data is based on fossil evidence from Eastern France of the species known as harvestmen or daddy longlegs, which is a species of arachnid ancestor that lived around 305 million years ago, and still survives in an evolved form today.
According to recent study by researchers at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom, working with the American Museum of Natural History, ancient ancestors of modern day arachnids like spiders and scorpions had two sets of eyes, instead of just one.
This new data is based on fossil evidence from Eastern France of the species known as harvestmen or daddy longlegs, which is a species of arachnid ancestor that lived around 305 million years ago, and still survives in an evolved form today.
Results of x-ray imaging revealed that the ancient harvestmen had one pair of median eyes in the center of their head, and another lateral pair of eyes on the side of their head.
Modern harvestmen only have one set of eyes, but genetic analysis of their embryos revealed the remnants of what used to be the genes responsible for the second set of eyes in their ancestor species.
Russell Garwood, a paleontologist at the University of Manchester is quoted as saying: “These findings represent a significant leap in our understanding of the evolution of this group.”
Terrestrial arthropods are reportedly difficult animals to study because their bodies don’t preserve well, so the fossil record is scarce.
