眼睛朝前的動(dòng)物如靈長(zhǎng)類需要將兩只眼睛對(duì)準(zhǔn)同一方向，以便使左眼和右眼的圖像融合,，而不管頭部怎樣動(dòng),。Jason Kerr及其同事發(fā)現(xiàn)，嚙齒類的眼睛協(xié)調(diào)遵從一個(gè)不同的策略,。利用一個(gè)定制的微型化“眼睛-攝像系統(tǒng)”,，他們發(fā)現(xiàn)，對(duì)自由運(yùn)動(dòng)的大鼠來(lái)說(shuō),，眼睛運(yùn)動(dòng)的作用是,，使兩只眼睛的視場(chǎng)在頭頂上連續(xù)重疊，但未必要對(duì)準(zhǔn)同一方向,。大鼠是在地面上生活的動(dòng)物,，經(jīng)常受到來(lái)自上面的威脅，所以這種策略可能是作為對(duì)來(lái)自頭頂?shù)牟妒痴卟粩啾３志璧囊环N手段而形成的,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦英文摘要：
Nature doi:10.1038/nature12153
Rats maintain an overhead binocular field at the expense of constant fusion
Damian J. Wallace, David S. Greenberg, Juergen Sawinski, Stefanie Rulla, Giuseppe Notaro & Jason N. D. Kerr
Fusing left and right eye images into a single view is dependent on precise ocular alignment, which relies on coordinated eye movements. During movements of the head this alignment is maintained by numerous reflexes. Although rodents share with other mammals the key components of eye movement control, the coordination of eye movements in freely moving rodents is unknown. Here we show that movements of the two eyes in freely moving rats differ fundamentally from the precisely controlled eye movements used by other mammals to maintain continuous binocular fusion. The observed eye movements serve to keep the visual fields of the two eyes continuously overlapping above the animal during free movement, but not continuously aligned. Overhead visual stimuli presented to rats freely exploring an open arena evoke an immediate shelter-seeking behaviour, but are ineffective when presented beside the arena. We suggest that continuously overlapping visual fields overhead would be of evolutionary benefit for predator detection by minimizing blind spots.
