One of the greatest senses that we human are grateful for every day is that of sight – a sense that allows us to experience the beauty of life, with all its colors. Did you know why we see the colors we do?
It is because of the three independent channels that we possess; channels that convey color information. Now, imagine having four of these, result – more color. Animals and some birds like the Zebra Finch are tetrachromatic – meaning they can so more colors than us.
Even a shrimp can see way more than… you… and I. We have 3 wavelengths and they have up to 12.
Mantis shrimp have a pair of eyes that move independently of each other, each with stereoscopic vision and possessing a band of photoreceptors that can distinguish up to 12 different wavelengths as well as linear and circular polarized light. Humans, by comparison, can only perceive three wavelengths — red, green and blue.
Therefore, mantis shrimp have much more spectral information entering their brains than humans do. Mantis shrimp seem to be able to process all of the different channels of information with the participation of the reniform body, a region of the animal’s brain found in the eye stalks that support its two protruding eyes.
Actually, even a sheep can see better than you.
