There’s also the issue that infrared and UV light is extremely damaging in some cases. Our retina actually can see well into the ultraviolet spectrum, but the lens has a UV filter that blocks anything above violet from passing through. That filter can be overwhelmed though, which is why staring at a black light can be just as painful as staring at a bright lightbulb in the visible spectrum. People who have aphakia (missing the lens in their eye) can see into the UV spectrum.
That UV filter in your lens exists because seeing into the UV spectrum doesn’t offer a large reproductive benefit when compared to its drawbacks. Ultraviolet light is extremely damaging to cells. Especially when those cells are designed specifically to be sensitive to light. Developing retinoblastoma when you’re 8 years old (because the cells in your eyes have been repeatedly damaged by the UV light, and have turned cancerous) means you don’t survive long enough to pass on your genes.
I’d assume if we lived on a world where UV or infrared wavelengths were the most intense we’d evolve eyes to work around the problems that our eyes have. There probably is an upper and lower limit to the wavelengths that animals on earth have adapted to and there probably also is some physical limit (imagine wavelengths of 1 kilometer).
However the ability to see in the wavelength that is most intense is a big advantage since everything that does photosynthesis is probably that colour and being able to see those tasty morsels would be an advantage.edit: actually plants reject the wavelengths that are most intense since they are too intense for photosynthesis edit: I have no idea how phosythesis would work on a planet wit a different wavelength distribution.
Edit: thanks for the info though. I didn’t know that
There’s also the issue that infrared and UV light is extremely damaging in some cases. Our retina actually can see well into the ultraviolet spectrum, but the lens has a UV filter that blocks anything above violet from passing through. That filter can be overwhelmed though, which is why staring at a black light can be just as painful as staring at a bright lightbulb in the visible spectrum. People who have aphakia (missing the lens in their eye) can see into the UV spectrum.
That UV filter in your lens exists because seeing into the UV spectrum doesn’t offer a large reproductive benefit when compared to its drawbacks. Ultraviolet light is extremely damaging to cells. Especially when those cells are designed specifically to be sensitive to light. Developing retinoblastoma when you’re 8 years old (because the cells in your eyes have been repeatedly damaged by the UV light, and have turned cancerous) means you don’t survive long enough to pass on your genes.
I’d assume if we lived on a world where UV or infrared wavelengths were the most intense we’d evolve eyes to work around the problems that our eyes have. There probably is an upper and lower limit to the wavelengths that animals on earth have adapted to and there probably also is some physical limit (imagine wavelengths of 1 kilometer).
However the ability to see in the wavelength that is most intense is a big advantage since everything that does photosynthesis is probably that colour and being able to see those tasty morsels would be an advantage.edit: actually plants reject the wavelengths that are most intense since they are too intense for photosynthesisedit: I have no idea how phosythesis would work on a planet wit a different wavelength distribution.Edit: thanks for the info though. I didn’t know that