This means that the chiton’s eyes – or the lenses, at least – are made from the same substance as its armoured shell. Chitons may be the only living animals with rocky eyes of this sort.

Senior author Todd Oakley studies how complex systems evolve, and has used chiton eyes as an example in his classes as a Professor in EEMB. Co-author Speiser worked on chitons as part of his doctoral ...

Scientists discovered the chiton's unique eyes decades ago. But it wasn't clear whether chitons used these eyes to see objects overhead, or simply to sense changes in light.

This essay was launched by reading an almost unintelligible (to me) scientific paper about chiton eyes. Nevertheless, that paper led to others, and here I have summarized some of the related ...

The chiton-eyes research will be detailed in the April 26 issue of the journal Current Biology. 4th of July Sale - 25% OFF! Magazine for all ages starting at $25/year. SEE SUBSCRIPTION OPTIONS.

They found that the shell eyes of chitons in Toniciinae and Acanthopleurinae are perhaps the most recently evolved lensed eyes, having arisen during the Cretaceous (150 to 100 million years ago).

Crystal 'eyes' let simple mollusks called chitons see predators. ScienceDaily . Retrieved June 2, 2025 from www.sciencedaily.com / releases / 2011 / 04 / 110414131847.htm ...

The chiton probably gets a more pixelated view (simulation, bottom) because the small eye has few light-catching receptors below the lens. And that’s not all.

Shell plates grow from the center outward by accretion, and eyes are added throughout the chiton’s life as the edge grows. “The oldest eyes are those in the middle of the animal, and the most recently ...

Despite chitons' relation to squid, snails and scallops, their eyes aren't located on their soft bodies. Instead, many of their sensory organs are embedded directly into their segmented shell.

DURHAM, N.C. – Using eyes made of a calcium carbonate crystal, a simple mollusk may have evolved enough vision to spot potential predators, scientists say. The three-inch-long mollusks, called ...

Scientists discovered the chiton's unique eyes decades ago. But it wasn't clear whether chitons used these eyes to see objects overhead, or simply to sense changes in light.