People who live farthest from the equator appear to have evolved large eyes and brains to see better in low-light environments, according to new research from . Larger eyes, which afford polar dwellers better vision in the dark, require bigger visual cortexes. Researchers at Oxford measured eye-socket size and brain volume in representing 12 populations, then plotted the measurements against the latitude of the skull’s country of origin. Brain volume does not reflect intelligence, but rather a larger visual processing area. The study , however, that large eyes do not enhance vision in normal daylight, supporting the researchers’ claim that larger eyes and brains are needed to compensate in low-light conditions. The full study was published online Wednesday in the journal .
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