Comments on: Adaptation of the Week – the Insect Dorsal Ocelli http://biochemicalsoul.com/2009/03/adaptation-of-the-week-the-insect-dorsal-ocelli/ Musings on Nature, Science, Evolution, Biology, and Education Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:31:55 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Biochemical Soul » Carnivalia! Evolution, Blue, Spineless, and Pro Publica http://biochemicalsoul.com/2009/03/adaptation-of-the-week-the-insect-dorsal-ocelli/comment-page-1/#comment-3584 Biochemical Soul » Carnivalia! Evolution, Blue, Spineless, and Pro Publica Fri, 10 Apr 2009 03:01:05 +0000 http://biochemicalsoul.com/?p=1188#comment-3584 [...] GrrlScientist also recently hosted the Circus of the Spineless #37 dedicated to the spineless creatures of the world - which included my post on insect dorsal ocelli. [...] [...] GrrlScientist also recently hosted the Circus of the Spineless #37 dedicated to the spineless creatures of the world – which included my post on insect dorsal ocelli. [...]

]]> By: The Science Pundit http://biochemicalsoul.com/2009/03/adaptation-of-the-week-the-insect-dorsal-ocelli/comment-page-1/#comment-3543 The Science Pundit Mon, 06 Apr 2009 16:29:49 +0000 http://biochemicalsoul.com/?p=1188#comment-3543 Very fascinaing post! When I was a kid, I used to collect the molted shells that cicadas left behind. I would use them to set up scenes (like battles, etc.) Cicada shells and the noises the adults make always reminds me of childhood summers. [nitpick]Sirius is the brightest star in the <strong>night</strong> sky[/nitpick] ;-) I find it kind of thrilling to try to imagine what it would be like to be able to see through compound eyes, or into the ultraviolet, or to discern light polarization, or to be able to make out shapes using echolocation, etc. I agree that many of those would be almost (if not completely) impossible to imagine. However, in defense of imagination, I would like to point out that many of our senses are already wired together in the subconscious and we don't realize it. For example, our visual system is tied to our positional and balance systems. Quick experiment: Tape a picture that has a definite up and down to the back of an empty box with the picture's up pointing towards the "actual up". Now rotate the box (and picture) clockwise. You will see that the picture is no longer pointing up. Now repeat that, but instead of rotating the box clockwise, rotate your head counterclockwise (through the same angle as before). Even though your eyes are receiving the exact same stimulus as when the box was rotated, you will see that the picture is still pointing up. This is because your brain combines the input of several senses to generate the world that you see. So perhaps something similar is happening with the cicada's ocellus. The information from the various eyes are sewn together into a single, seamless visual perception. It's still hard to imagine, but it gives us a potential direction in which to explore. Very fascinaing post!

When I was a kid, I used to collect the molted shells that cicadas left behind. I would use them to set up scenes (like battles, etc.) Cicada shells and the noises the adults make always reminds me of childhood summers.

[nitpick]Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky[/nitpick] ;-)

I find it kind of thrilling to try to imagine what it would be like to be able to see through compound eyes, or into the ultraviolet, or to discern light polarization, or to be able to make out shapes using echolocation, etc. I agree that many of those would be almost (if not completely) impossible to imagine. However, in defense of imagination, I would like to point out that many of our senses are already wired together in the subconscious and we don’t realize it. For example, our visual system is tied to our positional and balance systems.

Quick experiment: Tape a picture that has a definite up and down to the back of an empty box with the picture’s up pointing towards the “actual up”. Now rotate the box (and picture) clockwise. You will see that the picture is no longer pointing up. Now repeat that, but instead of rotating the box clockwise, rotate your head counterclockwise (through the same angle as before). Even though your eyes are receiving the exact same stimulus as when the box was rotated, you will see that the picture is still pointing up. This is because your brain combines the input of several senses to generate the world that you see.

So perhaps something similar is happening with the cicada’s ocellus. The information from the various eyes are sewn together into a single, seamless visual perception. It’s still hard to imagine, but it gives us a potential direction in which to explore.

]]> By: Biochemical Soul » Adaptation of the Week - Channichthyidae Icefish Blood and Antifreeze http://biochemicalsoul.com/2009/03/adaptation-of-the-week-the-insect-dorsal-ocelli/comment-page-1/#comment-3510 Biochemical Soul » Adaptation of the Week - Channichthyidae Icefish Blood and Antifreeze Wed, 01 Apr 2009 23:51:14 +0000 http://biochemicalsoul.com/?p=1188#comment-3510 [...] Previous Adaptations of the Week: Insect Dorsal Ocelli [...] [...] Previous Adaptations of the Week: Insect Dorsal Ocelli [...]

]]> By: Beetles In The Bush http://biochemicalsoul.com/2009/03/adaptation-of-the-week-the-insect-dorsal-ocelli/comment-page-1/#comment-3323 Beetles In The Bush Tue, 17 Mar 2009 00:06:26 +0000 http://biochemicalsoul.com/?p=1188#comment-3323 Ah, someone who understands why I continually refer to "my beloved Ozarks". Thanks for adding me to your link list, and I'll do likewise. You can thank Adrian Thysse for introducing us to each other. regards--ted Ah, someone who understands why I continually refer to “my beloved Ozarks”.

Thanks for adding me to your link list, and I’ll do likewise. You can thank Adrian Thysse for introducing us to each other.

regards–ted

]]> By: Beetles In The Bush http://biochemicalsoul.com/2009/03/adaptation-of-the-week-the-insect-dorsal-ocelli/comment-page-1/#comment-3322 Beetles In The Bush Tue, 17 Mar 2009 00:04:11 +0000 http://biochemicalsoul.com/?p=1188#comment-3322 You might get some conflicting opinions about this. Some will argue that the Hemiptera is the order of the "true bugs", thus, cicadas, hoppers, aphids, etc. are now true bugs. Others will argue that the term "true bugs" should now be reserved for the suborder Heteroptera, which contains all of the former Hemiptera excluding the "homopterans". I see both viewpoints but tend to go with the former. You might get some conflicting opinions about this. Some will argue that the Hemiptera is the order of the “true bugs”, thus, cicadas, hoppers, aphids, etc. are now true bugs. Others will argue that the term “true bugs” should now be reserved for the suborder Heteroptera, which contains all of the former Hemiptera excluding the “homopterans”. I see both viewpoints but tend to go with the former.

]]> By: Irradiatus http://biochemicalsoul.com/2009/03/adaptation-of-the-week-the-insect-dorsal-ocelli/comment-page-1/#comment-3317 Irradiatus Mon, 16 Mar 2009 21:55:01 +0000 http://biochemicalsoul.com/?p=1188#comment-3317 Glad you found me, Ted. FYI - I also originally hail from the lovely Ozarks (Arkansas side - Benton County). Glad you found me, Ted.
FYI – I also originally hail from the lovely Ozarks (Arkansas side – Benton County).

]]> By: Irradiatus http://biochemicalsoul.com/2009/03/adaptation-of-the-week-the-insect-dorsal-ocelli/comment-page-1/#comment-3316 Irradiatus Mon, 16 Mar 2009 21:52:21 +0000 http://biochemicalsoul.com/?p=1188#comment-3316 What!? All the Homopterans are now Hemipterans? I guess the order of the "true bugs" is a little bigger now. Is that correct? Can I call cicadas true bugs? What!?

All the Homopterans are now Hemipterans?

I guess the order of the “true bugs” is a little bigger now. Is that correct? Can I call cicadas true bugs?

]]> By: Beetles In The Bush http://biochemicalsoul.com/2009/03/adaptation-of-the-week-the-insect-dorsal-ocelli/comment-page-1/#comment-3314 Beetles In The Bush Mon, 16 Mar 2009 17:53:48 +0000 http://biochemicalsoul.com/?p=1188#comment-3314 Great post - I just found you through <a href="http://evolvingwithdarwin.blogspot.com/2009/03/my-sunday-best-15-march-2009.html" rel="nofollow">Evolving Complexity</a>. Incidentally, the order Homoptera is no longer - consumed by the Hemiptera (apparently the auchenorrhynchans [hoppers and cicadas] are more closely related to the "old" Hemiptera than they are to the sternorrhynchans [aphids, scales, whitefiles, etc.]). regards--ted Great post – I just found you through Evolving Complexity.

Incidentally, the order Homoptera is no longer – consumed by the Hemiptera (apparently the auchenorrhynchans [hoppers and cicadas] are more closely related to the “old” Hemiptera than they are to the sternorrhynchans [aphids, scales, whitefiles, etc.]).

regards–ted

]]> By: FrodoSaves http://biochemicalsoul.com/2009/03/adaptation-of-the-week-the-insect-dorsal-ocelli/comment-page-1/#comment-3308 FrodoSaves Sun, 15 Mar 2009 17:00:51 +0000 http://biochemicalsoul.com/?p=1188#comment-3308 Excellent post! Very well written. I wonder what that little fella thought of your camera as you loomed in for the snap. "What a marvelous convex lens! Such mysteries as cicadian photography cannot hope to explain!" Excellent post! Very well written. I wonder what that little fella thought of your camera as you loomed in for the snap. “What a marvelous convex lens! Such mysteries as cicadian photography cannot hope to explain!”

]]> By: Parag http://biochemicalsoul.com/2009/03/adaptation-of-the-week-the-insect-dorsal-ocelli/comment-page-1/#comment-3302 Parag Sun, 15 Mar 2009 11:44:19 +0000 http://biochemicalsoul.com/?p=1188#comment-3302 Incredibly fascinating and some beautiful pictures to boot. Incredibly fascinating and some beautiful pictures to boot.

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