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Why do cats have vertical pupils? - Emma Bryce

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6,275 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

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Peering into the eyes of different animals, you’ll see some extraordinarily shaped pupils. House cats, for one, are twilight hunters with vertically elongated pupils. Many grazing animals, like goats, have rectangular pupils. Other animals have crescent- or heart-shaped pupils. So, what’s going on? Why are there so many different pupil shapes? Emma Bryce digs into the science of animal vision.

Horizontally-focused vision is enabled by:

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TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Emma Bryce
  • Director Bálint Gelley, CUB Animation Ltd.
  • Narrator Alexandra Panzer
  • Storyboard Artist Daniel Gray
  • Animator Iván Tamás
  • Compositor Iván Tamás
  • Art Director Barbara Bakos
  • Music József Iszlai
  • Sound Designer József Iszlai
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
  • Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Script Producer Cella Wright
  • Special Thanks Martin S. Banks

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