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Beauty in the Eye of the Beholder
A different perspective: 10 images of 'nature’s most exquisite creation'
The latest images from a NatGeo special.
EYES ARE A complicated part of our body.
They are our windows to the world but the human versions are different to many of the world’s other creatures. And they all differ from each other too, depending on their own needs.
In the February edition of National Geographic, Ed Yong examines the phenomenon. He shows – through wonderful photographs by David Liittschwager - how a creature’s environment contributes to the function, form and appearance of its eyes.
In the article, Inside the Eye: Nature’s Most Exquisite Creation, he tells us if we understand the structure of an animal’s eye, we have an idea of how the animal sees the world.
Check out these 10 amazing shots Liitschwager took to help prove the point.
Cuban rock iguana
The eye of a Cuban rock iguana (Cyclura nubile nubila) offers a window into a fundamental truth of evolution: Form follows necessity.
Four types of cone cells in this diurnal creature’s retina provide excellent daytime colour vision. A simpler third eye on top of the lizard’s head senses light and helps regulate body temperature.
Southern ground-hornbill (Bucorvus leadbeateri)
Gargoyle gecko (Rhacodactylus auriculatus)
Red-eyed tree frog (Agalychnis callidryas)
Scarlet macaw (Ara macao)
Rainbow lorikeet (Trichoglossus haematodus haematodus)
Blue-eyed black lemur (Eulemur flavifrons)
Domestic Dog
Western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla)
Panther chameleon (Furcifer pardalis)
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