How the Bird Eye Was Pushed to an Evolutionary Extreme
Summary
Quanta Magazine reports that the bird retina can function without oxygen by relying on anaerobic glycolysis, supported by the pecten oculi to supply glucose. The study situates this adaptation in an evolutionary context, suggesting it arose during the dinosaur era and may explain birds’ high visual performance at low oxygen conditions. The piece highlights gaps in our understanding of energy metabolism and potential biomedical implications.