Why Early Vertebrates Had Four Eyes (And What It Means) Yes. Multiple exceptionally preserved Cambrian fossils indicate that early vertebrates had four eyes: two large lateral eyes and a second, smaller median pair on the top of the head. In these fossils, all four were camera-type organs with pigment and lenses, and the median pair corresponds to the ancestral pineal complex that later became non-visual in most lineages. The new evidence comes from myllokunmingid vertebrates about 518 million years old described in…

Turns out some early vertebrates rocked four eyes. What were those extra peepers for—and what do they reveal about our own biology? Dive into the fossils and weigh in: smart adaptation or evolutionary leftover? #Cambrian #myllokunmingids #parietaleye #pinealgland #vertebrateevolution