On the relationship between orbit orientation and binocular visual field overlap in mammals

The orbital apertures of Primates are among the most convergent (i.e., facing in the same direction) among mammals. It is often assumed that orbit convergence is associated with binocular visual field overlap and stereoscopic depth perception in primates. Likewise, it is also assumed that orbit orientation reflects the shape of the visual field across mammals. To date, however, no study has demonstrated that orbit and visual field orientation are correlated, much less comparable, across mammals. In this study, data on orbit convergence were collected for a representative sample of mammals for which data on the extent of the visual field are available. Both standard and phylogenetically controlled comparisons were made. The results demonstrate that orbit convergence and binocular visual field overlap are significantly correlated and display a linear relationship. Based on orbit convergence, Primates as a group have the largest binocular visual fields among mammals. (C) 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.