Mudskippers, a subfamily of fish that live both on land and in the water, are the only fish that can blink, and they evolved this ability independently from our ancestors, a concept known as convergent evolution.
Scientists think that blinking evolved in land animals when they made the transition from the oceans roughly 375 million years ago. Therefore, studying this example of convergent evolution has offered clues as to how our primordial ancestors first took to Earth’s shores.
“Animals blink for many reasons,” said Thomas Stewart, an assistant professor of biology at Penn State University. “It helps us keep our eyes wet and clean, it helps us protect our eyes from injury, and we even use blinking for communication.
This story is from the Issue 178 edition of How It Works UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the Issue 178 edition of How It Works UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
THE POWER OF WATER
We're hooked on fossil fuels. But hydroelectric power is becoming an increasingly important replacement for coal and oil
EXPLORING THE MOON'S CAVES
Earth's rocky neighbour is home to a network of unexplored caves, and scientists are keen to take a peek inside
HOW TO ELECT THE PRESIDENT
The campaigns, votes and elections that put someone in America's most powerful office
WHAT IS MORNING SICKNESS?
Why some pregnancies can cause nausea and vomiting
20 WEIRDEST SCIENCE MYSTERIES
From dark matter to deep-sea crabs, science still can't fully explain these strange quirks of nature
THE TRIANGULUM GALAXY SHINES IN A NEW HUBBLE IMAGE
A nearby galaxy is shining with star formation in a new image from the Hubble Space Telescope.
The world's fastest charger fully powers smartphones in five minutes
Scientists have revealed the fastest battery-charging technology in the world for smartphones, which can fully charge a smartphone in less than five minutes.
Real-time brain stimulation slashes Parkinson's symptoms by half in trials
Brain stimulation that rapidly adjusts in real-time can dramatically reduce Parkinson’s symptoms, an early trial suggests.
The hottest ocean temperature in 400 years threatens the Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is facing the hottest sea surface temperatures in four centuries.
Massive medieval coin hoard worth about 150 sheep' discovered
Archaeologists in Germany have unearthed over 1,500 medieval silver coins after a citizen noticed what looked like ‘small metal plates’ while digging during a construction project.
