back to article Surprise! Evil-eyed cats MORE LIKELY to be SNEAKY PREDATORS – boffins

Vision boffins have seen the light – they believe that the shape of pupils in animal eyes can often reveal whether the beast is a hunter or the hunter's prey. Researchers at UC Berkeley eyeballed 214 species of land creatures during the study. They found that animals with pupils shaped in vertical slits were far more likely to …

  1. Martin Summers Silver badge

    To a dog you're family, to a cat you're staff. Or I guess minion after these revelations.

    1. Bleu

      Domestic cats are disgusting on many levels, I wrote a better post, but posting from Opera Mini is really still not possible (except once, quickly).

      i am enjoying great insect noise now, much better than the rapey howling of the earlier cat.

      1. Martin Summers Silver badge

        Domestic cats are very clean animals. They also only howl if you haven't had them 'done' they can hardly help their instincts.

        1. Bleu

          That is why you can only train them to use the box by rubbing their noses in their own execreta.

          They love their own stench.

          I am now under trees that are full of, I don't know the English, I think cicadas? It is hallucinatory, they are so loud tonight. If I play some electronic music made by me, they react.

          So good morning for the now, I want to play for my insect fans.

      2. Valeyard

        oh dear, you done gone sassed cats on their home territory: the internet

        1. Bleu

          Yes.

          The reaction is all too predictable, but certainly expected. Domestic cats have evolved or been bred for some interesting behaviours, such as imitating certain sounds of human infants.

          I am not a cat-hater, but despise people so caught up in the dull meme value that they are unable to see the huge damage wrought on populations of birds, reptiles, small mammals, amphibians (mainly frogs).

          Most 'cat-lovers' are dullards, the worst are the women who use their cats to set up an 'I am witchy witch' image, next worst, men who feign cat fanaticism for pussy from the previous.

          There is a sliding scale of arseholery from there, until one reaches the responsible few who get them spayed and keep them from breeding into the feral population.

          Cases of attacks on humans are rare, but easy to find.

          I am sure the domestic cat would be just as keen on human baby flesh as the rat, given the right bad situation.

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  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Stalking around

    So vertical slit eyes are characteristic of the small cats. I wonder if that particular pupil shape enhances object detection when viewing is obscured by many vertical grass stalks?

    1. oldcoder

      Re: Stalking around

      Not all small cats have vertical slits for pupils.

      The Pallas cat for instance has round pupils; and is the same size as house cats.

    2. Bleu

      Re: Stalking around

      That is a very interesting point. I wrote an essay on the visual system of cats, from the literature, I do not think they see much more than frogs, just a ground and movement against it, although in much more detail in the case of the domestic cat, I do not know about the bigger ones.

      .

      The domestic cat is a pox. The Internet cult of the domestic cat is a double pox.

      No species except the worst of the rats and the worst of the humans can compete for murderous intent.

      Domestic cats are useless against rats.

      1. Martin Budden Silver badge

        Re: Stalking around

        You say pox, I say evolutionary success.

        1. Bleu

          Re: Stalking around

          I say successful leech or parasite, sure.

          The only things they are good for are controlling rodents, and decoration for the hordes who ignore their murderous nature.

          Most are too well-fed to bother controlling rats, preferring easier prey for play, like small birds, frogs, etc., as stated in my earlier post.

          The Internet thing is beyond ridiculous.

          Feigning being a cat-lover is part of the spectrum of compulsory things.

          ... and yes, I have had a pet cat, it came to an unfortunately early demise through feline distemper. Had to use the dictionary there.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I thought it was already known

    I feel sure I read something similar years ago. And that pupils with vertical slits maximised the accuracy of detection of things running left and right. Presumably having a slit rather than a wee circular pupil in the centre then increased the brightness overall, so the moggy gets a brighter image in sunlight than they otherwise would, but without sacrificing the precision of definition of image in the horizontal plane.

    Might not be so for all I know, but that's what I believe I read.

    1. Duffy Moon

      Re: I thought it was already known

      I heard that because the colour-receptor cones are in concentric circles (each colour in its own area), a vertical iris enables all colours to remain visible even when almost closed. This would give more accurate colour vision in bright sunlight.

      Foxes have vertical slit pupils too - differing them from other canids.

    2. Charles Manning

      Re: I thought it was already known

      Yup, we certainly talked about it when I was doing biology at school around 40 years ago.

      A cat's eye at rest is set up to detect left-right motion well. This allows them to sit for hours on end waiting for prey without expending much brain power.

      When they see prey, the eyes instantly dilate. That reduces the depth of field and makes them more accurate at judging distances when attacking.

      Eye placement on the head and the overlap of the eyes also plays a role. Predators to the front, prey to the side.

      Good to see the researchers recycling discoveries. You don't want knowledge to end up in the landfill.

      Thankfully this is not my tax dollar being troughed.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: I thought it was already known

        "This allows them to sit for hours on end waiting for prey without expending much brain power."

        My cat does just about everything without expending much brain power.

  5. VinceH

    Optional

    "So there you have it, science agrees – cats really are evil."

    Well, duh - you can tell just by looking at their ey... oh. I see.

  6. Robert Helpmann??

    Yes, but...

    ...what does that say about the mantis shrimp?

    1. Allan George Dyer

      Re: Yes, but...

      Uh... that the mantis shrimp is the prototype for the supermarket checkout scanner?

    2. hplasm
      Stop

      Re: Yes, but...

      The mantis shrimp will destroy you.

      Do not taunt mantis shrimp!

  7. thomas k

    wrong conclusion

    Equating 'predatory' to 'evil' only works for humans, elsewhere in the animal kingdom it's merely the Circle of Life.

    1. Vic

      Re: wrong conclusion

      Equating 'predatory' to 'evil' only works for humans

      And cats...

      Vic.

  8. Tim99 Silver badge

    Cat's eyes: Not evil, just very well adapted.

    Cat's pupils are nearly round at night and only go to narrow slits in in bright light. This shape allows them to change the area of their pupils by about nine times more than if they were round, so they see well in light levels from near darkness to full sunshine and can hunt at any time.

  9. Haku

    Ok, but what about toads?

    1. chivo243 Silver badge

      Toads? What toads?

      Shhhhh. He'll hear you!

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Stop right there !

    Away with this nonsense Daily Mail stuff.

    The most successful hunter and destroyer of species in Earth history had round pupils, the human race.

    1. hplasm
      Meh

      Re: Stop right there !

      "The most successful hunter and destroyer of species in Earth history had round pupils, the human race."

      Only successful because they made cats small...

      1. Bleu

        Re: Stop right there !

        I have seen no evidence that domestic cats (not a domesticated animal) are descended from a larger species.

        I read in a Dawkin's book (Ancestor's Tale, I would not bother with any of his anti-Christian screeds), of a project in Russia, where they bred foxes to be more like domesticated dogs. In the end, they got the desired result.

        House cats are stupid and have near-reptile-level brains, so if you tried a similar experiment, all you would end up with is an even stupider beast, perhaps a little docile.

        I'd love to see the results of a similar experiment on cats.

        Wonder what happened to those domesticated foxes? I would like to think that their line continues.

        I am grateful for the many on this thread who are acting like Pavlov's dogs and giving me a massive number of down-votes for a few accurate observations about house cats, which happen to run against the Internet cult.

        The Internet really does make you stupid.

    2. Chris G
      Terminator

      Re: Stop right there !

      S0, everyone else has round pupils?

    3. Mark 85

      Re: Stop right there !

      I was wondering if this would get mentioned... The researchers obviously missed the target, either because they're uni profs or maybe not wanting to irritate the deep pockets who funded this study. Oh.. UC Berkeley chaps... explains why humans were left out of the study.

    4. Michael Wojcik Silver badge

      Re: Stop right there !

      The most successful hunter and destroyer of species in Earth history had round pupils, the human race.

      What in the article or paper contradicts this?

      I know, I know. Reading is hard.

  11. Phuq Witt
    Coat

    Eyes Too Close Together

    Can I have a huge research grant and peer-adulation for my breakthrough theory that hunter animals have their eyes on the front of their faces[1] and prey animals on the side[2]?

    [1] To maximise range-finding accuracy on objects in front.

    [2] to see what's sneaking up behind you when you've got your face buried in the vegetation.

    [The one with the nobel prize in the pocket, please.]

  12. Little Mouse

    It works for humans, too

    Let's not forget Rosemary's Baby...

  13. Chris G

    Not so much evil

    As well adapted.

    Evolution has allowed a predatory creature, armed with eighteen flick knives and a gob full of sharp teeth to dominate the human race by being able to appear cute, fluffy and occasionally,comical.

    Providing I feed them and provide comfy places to sleep my two feline bosses allow me a great deal of freedom.

    1. Bleu

      Re: Not so much evil

      The 'occasionally comical' bit says a lot about their visual system (brain, not optics) and near-reptilian level of perception.

      When a kitten or young adult cat falls about chasing it after setting a bit of thread or fabric, perhaps a light ball, in motion, it all all looks very charming or funny, but it is just because of how they see, motion against ground, and unlike a bear, dog, octopus, monkey (including us), and many other species, the cat has no idea of causation.

      The cat sets something in motion, it sees it as prey.

      When it doesn't have flesh or bleed, it stops for a short while, then repeats the process.

      They are domesticated to the extent that some have an idea of how to please the humans they own.

      You have two? Does your place stink of cat excreta?

      The only reason toilet-training works on cats is that they love the smell, but don't like having their noses rubbed in their own shit (although they love the smell), so they eventually use the box.

      1. Vic

        Re: Not so much evil

        a light ball, in motion, it all all looks very charming or funny, but it is just because of how they see, motion against ground, and unlike a bear, dog, octopus, monkey (including us), and many other species, the cat has no idea of causation.

        No, that's bollocks.

        My mate has cats. He has a laser pointer which they love to chase.

        When one of the cats wants to play, it sits on the back of the chair and bats the laser with its paw. They all know very well that's where the light comes from.

        Vic.

        1. razorfishsl

          Re: Not so much evil

          Yes well your mate is a tosser, you should never use a laser pointer for animals to chase.

          The only reason you 'see' a laser pointers dot is because the reflected photons enter your eye...

          Which kind of goes against the rule of shining it in your eye in the first place....

          1. Vic

            Re: Not so much evil

            The only reason you 'see' a laser pointers dot is because the reflected photons enter your eye...

            Really? You see because light enters your eye? I'd never have known...

            Which kind of goes against the rule of shining it in your eye in the first place....

            Well firstly, there is no such "rule" - it's simply the case that higher-power lasers are dangerous. Class 1 lasers are not.

            But more importantly, no-one's shining the laser into anyone or anything's eye; it's a reflection off the (generally carpetted) surface.

            So really - go learn a bit of physics before sounding off & making a complete tit of yourself in public.

            VIc.

  14. Pascal Monett Silver badge

    I thought it was the position of the eyes on the head

    Grass-munchers have eyes on the side of the head, to maximize threat detection.

    Predators have eyes facing front, to maximize depth perception and target acquisition.

    1. Michael Wojcik Silver badge

      Re: I thought it was the position of the eyes on the head

      It'd be interesting to study just how many Reg commentators feel compelled to post this factoid, as if the rest of us had never heard it, and as if it were somehow relevant to the thesis discussed in the article.

  15. Unicornpiss
    Happy

    Actually I like cats quite a bit..

    But hey, obligatory comic: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/cats_actually_kill

  16. Clive Harris

    Goats?

    Can anyone explain why goats have square pupils then?

    1. Jediben

      Re: Goats?

      Too much television.

  17. breakfast Silver badge
    Headmaster

    Top innovation

    Having read up a lot on equine physiology I was under the impression that this was fairly widely acknowledged.

    This has certainly affected my enjoyment of monsters in popular media- when they turn up with a horizontal pupil I start thinking "wait, this is a prey-animal eye, how did that evolve?"

    1. Michael Wojcik Silver badge

      Re: Top innovation

      Apparently none of you folks posting variations on "heard this before" noticed this sentence in the article:

      "The study, published in the Science Advances journal on Friday, built on a piece of work entitled The Vertebrate Eye and its Adaptive Radiation penned by UC Berkeley prof Gordon Walls in 1942."

      The thesis is not new. No one is claiming it's new. This new work provides a supporting explanation.

  18. Bleu

    Re: Eyes Too Close Together

    You must be joking. All simians, for example, have forward-facing eyes, apart from the baboons, us, and some of our cousins after divergence from chimps, most were not predators.

    Sharks tend to have eyes on the sides. They are rather successful predators.

    Predatory birds with side-facing eyes, easy to find examples. Sure, the raptors and owls come easiest to mind, but on water and the sea, plenty have a half-way, not completely side-facing, but not forward-facing either.

    Rats, most predatory of rodents, only have semi-forward-facing eyes.

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