Form and Function

Reading about 3-dimensional and panoramic vision in Chapter 15 reminded me of some information from my Vertebrate Biology class and I think it's kind of interesting. It is the predators of the food chain (including dogs and cats both domestic and wild as well as humans) that have eyes set forward on the head and as a result have depth perception. This allows precise movements when hunting and capturing their prey. The prey species (including mice, rabbits, and horses) have wide-set eyes that give them a large visual field to be on the lookout for something that might be hunting them. They do not require detailed depth perception for their survival, only the ability to detect a threat and perform a simple reflex - run like hell.