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the fact that cats and predatory birds have forward-facing eyes that enable visual field overlap, like primates, is evidence in favor of which hypothesis about primate origins?

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The fact that cats and predatory birds have forward-facing eyes that enable visual field overlap, like primates, is evidence in favor of the hypothesis that primates evolved their forward-facing eyes as an adaptation to arboreal (tree-dwelling) lifestyles. This adaptation would have allowed early primates to accurately judge distances and move more easily and safely through the branches of trees. The convergent evolution of forward-facing eyes in cats and predatory birds provides support for this hypothesis by suggesting that this visual adaptation is particularly useful for animals that spend a significant amount of time in the trees.

User Emmanuel Courreges
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Answer:

The fact that cats and predatory birds have forward-facing eyes that enable visual field overlap is evidence in favor of the hypothesis that primates evolved from ancestors who were arboreal (tree-dwelling) and insectivorous (eating insects). This hypothesis proposes that the evolution of forward-facing eyes allowed these ancestral primates to accurately judge the distance and position of insects they were hunting or eating while moving through the trees. Over time, this trait was refined and improved, eventually leading to the development of depth perception and improved visual acuity, which are characteristics of modern primates. The presence of forward-facing eyes in other predators, such as cats and birds, suggests that this trait may have evolved independently in multiple lineages as a response to similar selective pressures, which reinforces the idea that the evolution of forward-facing eyes was a key adaptation for life in arboreal environments

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User Mrsrinivas
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