Blink: The unexplained mystery of science!

The origin of the eye blink phenomenon is still a mystery to science.

Blinking, a natural reflex of the body, is important for eye health and function. It serves many purposes such as keeping the eyes clean, protecting them and even conveying non-verbal signals. However, the origin of the eye blinking phenomenon remains a mystery.

To shed light on this topic, a team of scientists from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Seton Hill University, and Pennsylvania State University conducted research on mudskippers, aiming to find out why blinking is important. a behavior fundamental to terrestrial life.

Mudskipper: The strangest fish on the planet

Mudhoppers are classified by the World Organism as one of the six "strangest animals on the planet", including: toadfish, tapir, Angora rabbit, emperor monkey, and mudskipper.

The strangest feature that makes the mudskipper unlike any other fish is that it can live in salt water, brackish water, and even on land.

They even have the ability to "climb" on trees and can jump from one branch to another very skillfully. That's because the fish's front fins do the job of a pair of hands.

They can be found quite commonly in estuaries, downstream rivers and seas in the tropics, stretching from Seychelles, India, Bangladesh, to Australia, including Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines , Thailand and Vietnam).

To live in diverse conditions, mudskippers have adapted in a very unique way. That is, they can blink to keep their eyes from drying out. This is a very rare feature in creatures that live mainly in water.

By comparing the anatomy and behavior of mudskippers with those of early four-legged animals, scientists found that in both groups a clear process of adaptation to life on land.

"The results from this study raise a series of new questions about the diversity of eye blinking behavior we observe in organisms," said Tom Stewart, an author of the study.

Mystery at a glance

Unlike most vertebrates, mudskippers do not have eyelids, so they blink by moving their pupils down to the eye socket.

However, this behavior does not require the evolution of many parts of the fish's body, such as muscles or special glands. Instead, mudskippers use their existing set of eye muscles, but in a new way.

In a series of experiments, researchers discovered that mudskippers blink for three main functions, including: wetting, cleaning and protecting their eyes. Interestingly, these functions also parallel the reasons why humans and other terrestrial vertebrates blink.

According to the researchers, this single behavior in mudskippers helps them fulfill at least three complex functions, and is likely to play an important role in historical transitions in evolution in humans. vertebrates, such as moving from water to land.

"We all blink every day without thinking. But finding out why we blink is an interesting puzzle right in front of us," Stewart assessed.

"The blinking phenomenon seems to reflect a larger question," said Simon Sponberg, Associate Professor in the School of Physical and Biological Sciences. "What's interesting is that evolution can modify already existing structures, allowing them to be used in a new way and for a new behavior."

The research is highly appreciated by the scientific community, because it brings deeper understanding of evolution.

"The blinking phenomenon seems to reflect a larger question," said Simon Sponberg, Associate Professor in the School of Physical and Biological Sciences. "What's interesting is that evolution can modify already existing structures, allowing them to be used in a new way and for a new behavior."

The research is highly appreciated by the scientific community, because it brings deeper understanding of evolution.