BBC Focus Magazine

[Geekit]

Why has the vast majority of creatures only two eyes either forward facing for predators or off set for grasing animals! When more eyes giving a wider field of view would be a distinct advantage?

[M Paul Lloyd]

Eyes are expensive in terms of energy and brain power, after all if you had eyes in the back of your head you would need twice the brain capacity to process all the additional information.
In the case of creatures with many eyes, such as spiders, well they are very primative eyes with lower energy demands.
Plus the predator, grazer divergence is only efficient at what it does. The irony is that a Tiger is more vulnerable to attack than a Gazelle.

[MikeG]

...The irony is that a Tiger is more vulnerable to attack than a Gazelle.

Darwinism has a way of handling cases where something else attacks a tiger.

[ChrisH]

Getting glasses would be a nightmare as well

[M Paul Lloyd]

...The irony is that a Tiger is more vulnerable to attack than a Gazelle.

Darwinism has a way of handling cases where something else attacks a tiger.

I think it's called, a rifle...........................

[M Paul Lloyd]

Getting glasses would be a nightmare as well

And by that same measure would a second nose not come in useful?

[MikeG]

I think it's called, a rifle...........................

Actually, I was thinking of a wildlife documentary, where a crazed baboon on steroids went after a lion. Didn't take very long to settle that matter.

Humans with rifles don't count. Killing from a distance is hardly sporting. I do have a lot of respect for some Masai warriors that hunt lions on foot with spears though.

[M Paul Lloyd]

Baboons it is then Mike.

[MikeG]

Here's another video of a baboon standing up to a lion. The lion is not fully grown, and is confused by the baboon. However, nature takes its course (or should I say Darwinism rears its head). These occurrences don't seem to be that rare.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4ebd36p4zkw

[M Paul Lloyd]

Sorry Mike but for some reason when I went to view that clip it said

The address wasn't understood

but I do remember seeing these sorts of confrontations on wildlife programs over the years and get the general idea.
I seem to recall a group of Chimps seeing something of, working in a co-ordinated manner to chase away a Lynx or somesuch. The thing is that whilst a predator is fully focused on hunting down its prey it leaves itself wide open to attack from the side, on the other hand your average Gazelle is constantly on the lookout.
Thus the difference in types of eye and so evolution has proved itself yet again.

[MikeG]

A predator needs to have binocular vision, to be able to judge distances accurately, to time it's sprint and it's leap accurately. A gazelle just needs to cover as wide a field of vision as possible. The slightest discernable movement is enough to make it run. Focusing clearly on the treat is irrelevant.