Wednesday, October 28, 2026
Science

Paleontologists reveal the hidden role of eye pigments in vertebrate evolution

Paleontologists at University College Cork have discovered that the evolution of fish is linked to the shape, location and abundance of tiny melanin-rich granules called melanosomes. These features survive in 300-million-year-old fossil fish, suggesting that melanosomes have played a key role in ver...

Paleontologists reveal the hidden role of eye pigments in vertebrate evolution
Image: Phys.org
Paleontologists at University College Cork have discovered that the evolution of fish is linked to the shape, location and abundance of tiny melanin-rich granules called melanosomes. These features survive in 300-million-year-old fossil fish, suggesting that melanosomes have played a key role in vertebrate evolution since the major fish groups evolved around 445 million years ago.

Originally published at Phys.org

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