News Article: Simple Eyes of Only Two Cells Guide Marine Zooplankton to the Light.
Original Paper: Mechanism of Photoaxis in Marine Zooplankton.
Link to Original Research Paper
1) The article claims a few things about the study. First, it says that the larvae of marine invertebrates have “proto-eyes” and these are the simplest forms of this organ found in nature. According to the study, this is true. It also says that these proto-eyes share a close relationship with the larvae’s cilia, which are hair-like projections that move according to the information received by the eye’s sensors. This is also true according to the study done.
2) While there is no real section labeled summary or conclusion, all of the major conclusions reached in the actual scientific paper are also commented on in the news article, albeit briefly at times.
3) The uncertainties of the claims made in the paper are relatively moderate. They “proprose” that the proto-eye played a key role in the early evolution of the animal eye, but do not impose any uncertainties on the actual function of the eye itself. The article reciprocates the doubt of the article by using phrases like “might have.”
4) In this particular case, the article actually has the same sentiments as the original paper in respect to the broader implications. Both resources say that the proto-eye could have a huge impact on the understanding of how the eye has evolved from its simplest forms.
5) The original scientific paper does not mention any previous contradictions or beliefs to the results found in the study. In fact, it is stated in the abstract that very little is known on the subject of how the eyes regulate the movement of the cilia.
6) The news article does not mention any alternative hypotheses that are not mentioned in the original paper. It is believed that this study is just the beginning of the search to understand the evolution of these invertebrates.