Citation
Comparative Analysis of Gene Expression for Convergent Evolution of Camera Eye Between Octopus and Human
TL;DR
Most genes expressed in octopus eyes were present in common ancestor with vertebrates
Molecular analysis revealing that 1,019 of 1,052 genes expressed in octopus eyes were present in the common bilaterian ancestor. This suggests deep conservation of the genetic toolkit despite independent evolution of camera-type eyes in cephalopods and vertebrates.
The finding demonstrates that convergence can occur through re-use of shared ancestral components - analogous to how businesses in different industries might converge on similar solutions using shared technological infrastructure (cloud, mobile, etc.).
Key Findings from Ogura & al. (2004)
- Most genes expressed in octopus eyes were present in common ancestor with vertebrates
- Convergent camera eyes built from shared ancestral genetic toolkit
- Independent evolution of similar structures using conserved developmental pathways