Humans found to have greater lateral vision than other apes
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.028993
New Scientist : Of the members of the ape family, humans have the widest field of view, a distinction due to the shape of their skull. In a study of 100 human skulls and 120 ape skulls—30 each of gibbons, orangutans, gorillas, and chimpanzees—researchers found that human eye sockets are much wider and the outer margin is recessed much farther back in the skull. That configuration allows humans an unimpeded sideways view through eye movement alone without the extra effort of moving one’s head. Whether the trait evolved to give humans an advantage, such as in the detection of predators, or whether it was the result of other changes to human morphology, such as the shrinking of the chewing muscles as humans ate more cooked food, is unknown.
