Have scientists ever used trilobite eyes as camera lenses?
February 9, 2010 - 5:34 am
Trilobites have unique eyes formed from calcite prisms. I heard a rumor that some of these lenses are so well presevered that they could be used for camera lenses.
I should make clear that I am refering to their fossilized eyes.
Well you could but you don’t normally get that kind of detail and if I recall calcite replacement is not likely to occur for soft parts like eyes. There are some amazing looking trilobite eyes in the fossil record but you don’t as a rule use them for more than studying trilobites. Besides they’re so tiny why would you use them for that? (I’m going for an average trilobite. I know some were larger)
February 9th, 2010 at 10:51 am
Hmmm. I could see calcite prisms in fossil trilobites, but never heard of that proposed in a living one. As far as know, horseshoe crabs (probably their closest living ancestors) have normal, compound eyes.
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February 9th, 2010 at 10:56 am
i doubt it
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February 9th, 2010 at 11:13 am
Well you could but you don’t normally get that kind of detail and if I recall calcite replacement is not likely to occur for soft parts like eyes. There are some amazing looking trilobite eyes in the fossil record but you don’t as a rule use them for more than studying trilobites. Besides they’re so tiny why would you use them for that? (I’m going for an average trilobite. I know some were larger)
References :