# Paleontologists reveal the hidden role of eye pigments in vertebrate evolution

- Source: Phys.org
- Published: 2026-10-27T19:00:04+00:00
- Category: Science
- Original: https://phys.org/news/2026-10-paleontologists-reveal-hidden-role-eye.html
- Canonical: https://groundlevelnews.com/story/paleontologists-reveal-the-hidden-role-of-eye-pigments-in-vertebrate-e-e52c01/

Paleontologists at University College Cork have discovered that the evolution of fish is linked to the shape, location and abundance of tiny melanin-rich granules called melanosomes. These features survive in 300-million-year-old fossil fish, suggesting that melanosomes have played a key role in vertebrate evolution since the major fish groups evolved around 445 million years ago.

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