Organizational Principles and Plasticity of Eye Stalks in Flies and Other Arthropods

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Some animals have highly exaggerated features such as plumage or antlers that are believed to have evolved from of sexual selection mechanisms. But some cases have further consequences for sensory processing, such as the extreme lateralization of eyes in hammerhead sharks, some crustaceans, and several insects. One extreme example is found in the diopsid family of flies known as 'stalk-eyed flies' where the eyes may be more than a body-length apart. It remains unknown whether there is unusual neuroanatomy, physiology or behavioral capabilities of the visual system in these animals. This project uses microscopy, electrophysiology and behavioral tests to compare the visual system of some stalk-eyed fly species to those of other insects and other arthropods, to see whether they have specific adaptations for binocular or even stereoscopic vision for distance estimation, and to see whether developing young flies require visual experience to use the eyes for distance perception. Results will have a broad impact because they will be important not only for invertebrate vision, but in comparison with other animal visual systems, and for understanding the development and evolution of visual behavior. The project will provide excellent cross-disciplinary postdoctoral and undergraduate training.