"Insights from Mollusk Eyes: Uncovering Evolution's Dependence on the Past"
The visual systems of chitons, a type of marine mollusk, provide a rare natural example of path-dependent evolution, where a lineage's history shapes its future evolutionary trajectory. Researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara discovered that the type of eye a chiton lineage had was determined by the number of slits in its shell armor, representing a real-world example of path-dependent evolution. This finding challenges the traditional understanding of evolutionary progression and highlights the impact of history on the future of a particular trait.