A new finding suggests that the compound eyes evolved right at the origin of this branch of the evolutionary tree, long before the sorts of hard exoskeletons we now consider typical of arthropods.
Anomalocarids were the apex predators of the Cambrian seas, able to shove many of the smaller creatures into their circular jaws—in fact, a number of fossils of smaller creatures have been discovered that appear to bear bite marks from an Anomalocarid. The visual capabilities suggested by these fossils supports the idea that these animals were hunters, using their visual system to spot prey.
It's got 16,000 eyes on you—the vision of a Cambrian-era predator By John Timmer, Ars Technica
H/T Bora Zivkovic
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