&
PHOTOS: SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY, GETTY X5 ILLUSTRATION: DANIEL BRIGHT
Eyes, by at least 40 million years. The only
invertebrates with ears are land arthropods
and they didn’t emerge until about 480
million years ago. Older invertebrates had
antennae that would have been able to
sense vibrations in the water, but that’s not
quite the same thing as hearing. Trilobites
already had complex compound eyes 521
million years ago, and simple eyespots
without a lens probably date back to 570
million years ago, when the first multicellular
animals appeared. LV
What evolved first: eyes or ears?
TOP 10
Top 10 largest birds
of prey (by weight)
- Steller’s sea eagle
Weight: 9kg
Distribution: Russia and Japan
6. Harpy eagle
Weight: 9kg
Distribution: Mexico, Central
and South America - Lammergeier
Weight: 8kg
Distribution: Southern Europe,
Middle East,
China and Africa - Philippine eagle
Weight: 8kg
Distribution: Philippines - Golden eagle
Weight: 7kg
Distribution: North America,
Eurasia and North Africa
The eyes can clearly
be seen on this
fossilised trilobite
ring.
ound
e ey
bac
first
. Trilobites
d eyes 521
yespots
ck to 570
multicellular