Rising From The Roots: Understanding the Evolutionary Patterns of Cephalopods

By: David Blackburn

Abstract

Evolution does not exist in a vacuum; traits always have origins. Octopuses, squids, and cuttlefish have incredibly similar eyes to that of vertebrates, which has been touted as a prime example of the power of evolution, because similar structures arose from radically different organisms. But it is likely that their origins are not so different. There is new evidence overturning the old theory of independence with a new theory of interconnectedness. The Pax protein family is critical to the development of eyes across the animal Kingdom. Although the eyes of octopuses and vertebrates are different, they share an origin.

Topics

Thesis

Within the tree of life, fascinating diversity and striking similarity can be found. Every tree grows from its sapling, every chicken from its egg, every fish from its fry. From each branch, you can see amazingly different animals, yet there sometimes seems to be a human glint in their eyes. This anthropomorphization is typically seen with dogs or cats (most vertebrates even), but rarely seen in invertebrates, who are seen as simpler life forms. The major exception to this rule is cephalopods...

Vampyroteuthis-infernalis_Vampyroteuthis20190311T2300700Z.jpg