The evolution of eyes has unquestionably been one of the major innovations in the history of life. Eyes are very complex organs with multiple components, providing a remarkable example for the evolution of intricate structures by continuous accumulation of small, gradual changes over time. Schmitz describes recent efforts that scrutinize the possible role of functional constraints on the evolution and diversification of visual morphology. The underlying idea is that overall shape and physiology of eyes reflect the specific properties of the environment or, more generally, the visual demands of organisms. In two case studies, he describes how ecology may influence the evolution of eye morphology in such disparate groups as birds, mammals, lizards, and fish. A central part of the talk will deal with the possibility of using the linkage between form and function of the eye to make inferences about the diel activity patterns of dinosaurs, i.e. during what time of the day were these animals active? The results underline that the eye offers a rich system for tests of hypotheses about morphological evolution and is a key to a better understanding of the dynamics between physics and evolution.
