Challenging for an origin of eye and vision of ancient animals

• Project/Area Number: 16K05592
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Stratigraphy/Paleontology
• Research Institution: Kanazawa University (2017-2018); Kumamoto University (2016)
• Principal Investigator: Tanaka Gengo 金沢大学, GS教育系, 助教 (50437191)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 前田 晴良 九州大学, 総合研究博物館, 教授 (10181588)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2018)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,680,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,080,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥1,820,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥420,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000)
• Keywords: 眼の化石 / カンブリア紀 / 保存の良い化石 / 複眼 / カメラ眼 / ノープリウス眼 / 単眼 / 先カンブリア時代 / 眼 / 地層 / 視覚 / 古生代 / 中生代 / 機能・形態 / 眼の進化 / 例外的に保存の良い化石 / 中国 / 先カンブリア紀 / ぜん虫

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The origin of the eye can be traced back to the Cambrian. At the moment, the oldest fossil of the eye is the compound eye of the trilobite about 525 million years ago. We investigated the fossil localities of the older age, but we could not find organisms with eyes. We were able to identify to some extent potential sites for the fossils with eyes on the Early Cambrian strata.
Regarding Ordovician and Devonian trilobites, CT scan was performed using well-preserved fossils, three-dimensional coordinates were acquired, the optical axis of each individual eye was determined, and then the field of view was estimated. The Ordovician trilobite, which is considered to be pelagic, can be estimated to have a wide field of view and live near the surface. On the other hand, the shallow-sea Devonian trilobite had a high resolution eye, though the vertical field of view was extremely narrow.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

眼がいつ誕生したのかについては、分子生物学や古生物学から、程度推定されている。しかし、化石に遺された眼については、推定値よりかなり若返ってしまう。本研究は最古の眼の化石について、発見こそできなかったが、有力な化石産地を絞りこむことに成功した。また、オルドビス紀の三葉虫やデボン紀の三葉虫について、視野や眼の解像度を定量的に推定することができた。これらの手法を用いることで、絶滅生物の視界が復元できる。

Research Products

• [Int'l Joint Research] 上海科技館/南京地質古生物研究所(中国)
• [Int'l Joint Research] レスター大学(英国)
• [Int'l Joint Research] ゲント大学(ベルギー)
• [Int'l Joint Research] 上海科技館(中国)
• [Journal Article] Japan’s earliest ostracods (2019)
  • Author(s): David Siveter, Gengo Tanaka, Mark Williams, Peep Männik
  • Journal Title: Island Arc Volume: 28 Issue: 1
  • DOI: 10.1111/iar.12284
  • NAID: 130006589090
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] The paleobiogeographical significance of the Silurian and Devonian trilobites of Japan (2019)
  • Author(s): Christopher Stocker, Derek Siveter, Philip Lane, Mark Williams, Tatsuo Oji, Saimon Wallis, Gengo Tanaka, Toshifumi Komatsu, David Siveter, Thijs Vandenbroucke
  • Journal Title: Island Arc Volume: 28 Issue: 2
  • DOI: 10.1111/iar.12287
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Devonian shallow-marine ostracods from central Japan (2019)
  • Author(s): Gengo Tanaka, David Siveter, Mark Williams
  • Journal Title: Island Arc Volume: 28 Issue: 1
  • DOI: 10.1111/iar.12283
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Chitinozoans and scolecodonts from the Silurian and Devonian of Japan (2019)
  • Author(s): Vandenbroucke, T. R. A., Hints, O., Williams, M., Wallis, S., Velleman, J., Kurihara, T., Tanaka, G, Komatsu, T., Mannik, P., Siveter, D. J., De Backer, T.
  • Journal Title: Island Arc Volume: 28 Issue: 3 Pages: 1-13
  • DOI: 10.1111/iar.12294
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Upper Miocene Ostracoda in a gravity flow deposit in Central Japan: significance of paleogeography and paleoceanography (2019)
  • Author(s): Gengo Tanaka and Hiroshi Moriwaki
  • Journal Title: Journal of Paleontology Volume: in press Issue: 4 Pages: 727-739
  • DOI: 10.1017/jpa.2018.103
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Recent ostracod distribution in western Kyushu, Japan, related to the migration of Chinese continental faunal elements (2019)
  • Author(s): Gengo Tanaka, Yasuhisa Henmi, Tatsuya Masuda, Hiroshi Moriwaki, Toshifumi Komatsu, Baochun Zhou, Takumi Maekawa, Sota Niiyama, Phong D. Nguyen, Hung D. Doan and Noriyuki Ikeya
  • Journal Title: Marine Micropaleontology Volume: 146 Pages: 1-38
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.marmicro.2018.12.002
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] 地学実験における更新統小串層の介形虫化石群の有用性 (2019)
  • Author(s): 田中源吾・熊本大学 平成28年度地学基盤実験履修者
  • Journal Title: 御所浦白亜紀資料館報 Volume: 20 Pages: 1-5
• [Journal Article] Checklist of ostracods from the Pleistocene Ogushi Formation, Amakusa City, Kumamoto, southwestern Japan (2019)
  • Author(s): Gengo Tanaka, Takumi Maekawa, Ryota Urakawa, Toshifumi Komatsu and Yasuhisa Henmi
  • Journal Title: Bulletin of Goshoura Cretaceous Museum Volume: 20 Pages: 7-26
• [Journal Article] Spirits of Yokokurayama: shrine of the Japanese trilobites (2019)
  • Author(s): Christopher Stocker, Mark Williams, Tatsuo Oji, Gengo Tanaka, Toshifumi Komatsu and Simon Wallis
  • Journal Title: Geology Today Volume: 35 Issue: 1 Pages: 15-19
  • DOI: 10.1111/gto.12255
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Recent ostracod assemblages from the Co To Islands, northeastern Vietnam (2019)
  • Author(s): Sota Niiyama, Gebgo Tanaka, Toshifumi Komatsu, Hung Doan, Hung Nguyen, Ha Trinh, and Minh Nguyen
  • Journal Title: Journal of Micropalaeontology Volume: in press
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Paleoenvironmental analysis from ostracod fossil assemblages of the Middle Pleistocene Naganuma Formation in the Sagami Group, central Japan (2019)
  • Author(s): Hirokazu Ozawa and Gengo Tanaka
  • Journal Title: Bulletin of the Geological Survey of Japan Volume: 70 Pages: 5-16
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] The Silurian and Devonian proetid and aulacopleurid trilobites of Japan and their palaeogeographical significance (2019)
  • Author(s): Christopher Stocker, Derek Siveter, Philip Lane, Mark Williams, Tatsuo Oji, Gengo Tanaka, Toshifumi Komatsu, Simon Wallis, David Siveter, Thijs Vandenbroucke
  • Journal Title: Fossils and Strata Volume: im press Pages: 205-232
  • DOI: 10.1002/9781119564249.ch10
  • ISBN: 9781119564232, 9781119564249
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] 神奈川県鎌倉市で発見された江戸期の特異な堆積物～津波が関与した可能性の検討～ (2018)
  • Author(s): 松島義章，萬年一剛，千葉 崇，野村律夫，田中源吾，宮田 眞，滝澤晶子，山口麻衣，鈴木 茂，遠藤邦彦
  • Journal Title: 歴史地震 Volume: 33 Pages: 167-186
  • NAID: 40021645147
• [Journal Article] Missourian (Kasimovian, Late Pennsylvanian) conodonts from limestone boulders, Mizuboradani Valley, Gifu Prefecture, central Japan (2018)
  • Author(s): Maekawa, T., Komatsu, T., Tanaka, G., Williams, M., Stocker, C. P., Okura, M., Umayahara, A.
  • Journal Title: Paleontological Research. Volume: in press Issue: 3 Pages: 279-289
  • DOI: 10.2517/2017pr023
  • NAID: 40021581266
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] 動物の眼の進化 (2018)
  • Author(s): 田中源吾
  • Journal Title: ａｒｏｍａｔｏｐｉａ Volume: 27 Pages: 2-5
• [Journal Article] 更新統下総層群木下層からのヒゲクジラ類化石の発掘調査報告―堆積相・微化石・地中レーダー探査 (2018)
  • Author(s): 岡崎浩子, 石井明夫, 金子 稔, 田村 亨, 群馬県立太田女子高等学校地学部（今橋春日, 原島 舞,・佐藤有花,・猪口華蓮,・松倉亜里紗）,・加藤久佳,・伊左治鎭司,・田中源吾
  • Journal Title: 千葉県立中央博物館自然史研究報告 Volume: 14 Pages: 19-28
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] The Ordovician and Silurian conodonts of Japan: Their biostratigraphical and paleobiogeographical significance (2018)
  • Author(s): Peep Mamnik, Takumi Maekawa, Gengo Tanaka, Toshifumi Komatsu, David Siveter, Mark Williams, Olle Hints, Thijs Vandenbroucke
  • Journal Title: Island Arc Volume: 27 Issue: 6
  • DOI: 10.1111/iar.12269
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Early Permian (Cisuralian) ostracods from Japan: characteristic ostracod assemblage from a seamount of the Panthalassic Ocean (2018)
  • Author(s): Gengo Tanaka, Yukio Miyake, Teruo Ono, Aihua Yuan, Masahiro Ichida, Haruyoshi Maeda, Sylvie Crasquin
  • Journal Title: Zootaxa Volume: 4515 Issue: 1 Pages: 1-67
  • DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4515.1.1
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] The Kellwasser events in the Upper Devonian Frasnian to Famennian transition in the Toc Tat Formation, northern Vietnam (2018)
  • Author(s): Komatsu Toshifumi、Urakawa Ryota、Inada Toshitaka、Yamauchi Kazuki、Maekawa Takumi、Takashima Reishi、Williams Mark、Nguyen Phong D.、Doan Hung D.、Nguyen Minh T.、Niko Shuji、Tanaka Gengo、Yamaguchi Tatsuhiko
  • Journal Title: Island Arc Volume: 28 Issue: 1
  • DOI: 10.1111/iar.12281
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Biogeographical and biostratigraphical significance of a new Middle Devonian phacopid trilobite from the Naidaijin Formation, Kurosegawa Terrane, Kyushu, southwest Japan (2018)
  • Author(s): Christopher Stocker, Gengo Tanaka, Derek Siveter, Philip lane, Yukiyasu Tsutsumi, Toshifumi Komatsu, Simon Wallis, Tatsuo Oji, David Siveter
  • Journal Title: Paleontological Research Volume: 22 Issue: 1 Pages: 75-90
  • DOI: 10.2517/2017pr011
  • NAID: 40021427580
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] 更新統下総層群木下層からのヒゲクジラ類化石の発掘調査報; 堆積相・微化石・地中レーダ探査 (2018)
  • Author(s): 岡崎浩子・石井明夫・金子 稔・田村 亨・群馬県立太田女子高等学校地学部（今橋春日・原島 舞・佐藤有花・猪口華蓮・松倉亜里紗）・加藤久佳・伊左治鎭司・ 田中源吾
  • Journal Title: 千葉中央博自然誌研究報告 Volume: 14 Pages: 19-28
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] First discovery of Eocene coastal-estuarine ostracods from Japan, with the geological history of the migration of estuarine genera in the Far East (2018)
  • Author(s): Gengo Tanaka, Yasuhisa Henmi, Toshifumi Komatsu, Koji Hirose, Hiroaki Ugai, Shigenori Kawano & Haruyoshi Maeda
  • Journal Title: Geological Magazine Volume: 印刷中
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Early Ordovician (Tremadocian and Floian) graptolites from the Than Sa Formation, northeast Vietnam (2018)
  • Author(s): Adrian Rushton, Mark Williams, Nguyen Duc Phong, Toshifumi Komatsu, David Siveter, Jan Zalasiewicz, Dinn Cong Tien, Nguyen Viet Hien, Nguyen Huu Manh, Gengo Tanaka
  • Journal Title: Geological Magazine Volume: 印刷中
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Rods and cones in an enentiornithine bird eye from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota (2017)
  • Author(s): Gengo Tanaka, Baochun Zhou, Yunfei Zhang, David J. Siveter, Andrew R. Parker
  • Journal Title: Heliyon Volume: 3 Issue: 12 Pages: e00479-e00479
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2017.e00479
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] 微化石を使った地学部の指導 (2017)
  • Author(s): 金子稔・野村正弘・田中源吾
  • Journal Title: 地学教育と科学運動 Volume: 79 Pages: 1-8
  • NAID: 120007016762
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Chronology and Significance of Marine Deposits on Shinjima (Moeshima) Island, Kagoshima Bay, Based on Tephrochronology and ¹⁴C Ages (2017)
  • Author(s): 森脇 広・永迫俊郎・西澤文勝・松島義章・鈴木毅彦・田中源吾
  • Journal Title: Journal of Geography (Chigaku Zasshi) Volume: 126 Issue: 5 Pages: 557-579
  • DOI: 10.5026/jgeography.126.557
  • NAID: 130006199344
  • ISSN: 0022-135X, 1884-0884
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] 微化石を使った地学部の指導 (2017)
  • Author(s): 金子 稔・野村正弘・田中源吾
  • Journal Title: 地学教育と科学運動 Volume: 印刷中
  • NAID: 120007016762
  • Peer Reviewed / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] Stocker, C.P., Komatsu, T., Tanaka, G., Williams, M., Siveter, D.J., Bennett, C.E., Wallis, S., Oji, T., Maekawa, T., Okura, M. and Vandenbroucke, T.R.A. (2016)
  • Author(s): Carboniferous ostracods from central Honshu, Japan.
  • Journal Title: Geological Magazine Volume: － Issue: 1 Pages: 98-108
  • DOI: 10.1017/s0016756816000844
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Redescription of two krithid species (Crustacea, Ostracoda) from the Sea of Japan, with a comment on the taxonomic characters of Krithidae (2016)
  • Author(s): Gengo Tanaka
  • Journal Title: Paleontological Research Volume: 20 Issue: 1 Pages: 31-47
  • DOI: 10.2517/2015pr022
  • NAID: 40020694708
  • Peer Reviewed / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] Dragons, brimstone and the geology of a volcanic arc on the island of the last Samurai, Kyushu, Japan (2016)
  • Author(s): Mark Williams, Simon Wallis, Toshifumi Komatsu, Gengo Tanaka, Tatsuo Oji and Nicola Clark
  • Journal Title: Geology Today Volume: 32 Issue: 1 Pages: 21-26
  • DOI: 10.1111/gto.12124
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] 東京湾西岸，平潟湾における縄文海進による環境の変遷 (2016)
  • Author(s): 松島義章・田中源吾・千葉崇・工藤雄一郎・金子稔・石川博行・野村正弘・杉原重夫・増淵和夫
  • Journal Title: 神奈川県立博物館研究報告（自然科学） Volume: 45 Pages: 1-27
  • NAID: 40020762639
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Effects of mass sedimentation event after the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku earthquake on benthic prokaryotes and meiofauna inhabiting the upper bathyal sediments (2016)
  • Author(s): Nomaki, H., Mochizuki, T., Kitahashi, T., Nunoura, T., Arai, K., Toyofuku, T., Tanaka, G., Shigeno, S., Tasumi, E., Fujikura, K. and Watanabe, S.
  • Journal Title: Journal of Oceanography Volume: 72 Issue: 1 Pages: 113-128
  • DOI: 10.1007/s10872-015-0293-5
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Early Triassic ostracods from the Co Noi section, Song La area, Northwestern Vietnam (2016)
  • Author(s): Gengo Tanaka, Takumi Maekawa, Toshifumi Komatsu, Dang Tran Huyen, Dinh Cong Tien and Nguyen Huu Hung
  • Journal Title: Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology Vietnam National Museum of Nature Volume: 1 Pages: 278-285
  • Peer Reviewed / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] Upper Llandovery (Telychian) graptolites of the Oktavites spiralis Biozone from the Long Dai Formation, at Lam Thuy Village, Quang Binh Province, central Vietnam (2016)
  • Author(s): Mark Williams, Toshifumi Komatsu, Gengo Tanaka, Huu Nguyen, Jan Zalasiewicz, Thjis Vandenbroucke, Saimon Wallis and Vincent Perrier
  • Journal Title: Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences Volume: 53 Pages: 719-724
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Presentation] 下部デボン系福地層の深海性介形虫群 (2018)
  • Author(s): 田中源吾
  • Organizer: 日本古生物学会2018年年会
• [Presentation] デボン紀福地層（下部石灰岩部層）から産出した介形虫化石群 (2018)
  • Author(s): Gengo Tanaka, David Siveter, Mark Williams
  • Organizer: 日本古生物学会
• [Presentation] 内湾性介形虫Pistocythereis bradyi (Ishizaki, 1968)とP. bradiformis (Ishizaki, 1968)の分類学的再検討 (2017)
  • Author(s): 田中源吾・逸見泰久
  • Organizer: 日本古生物学会
  • Place of Presentation: 早稲田大学（東京都）
  • Year and Date: 2017-01-27
• [Presentation] 御所浦島（熊本県天草市）北部の海底堆積物から選出したオオスナモグリを含む十脚類遺骸群集 (2017)
  • Author(s): 安藤佑介・河野重範・加藤久佳・鵜飼宏明・廣瀬浩司・田中源吾・村宮悠介
  • Organizer: 日本古生物学会
  • Place of Presentation: 早稲田大学（東京都）
  • Year and Date: 2017-01-27
• [Presentation] デボン紀三葉虫Erbenochile sp.の複眼の光学的解析 (2017)
  • Author(s): 田中源吾
  • Organizer: 日本古生物学会
  • Place of Presentation: 早稲田大学（東京都）
  • Year and Date: 2017-01-27
• [Presentation] 上天草市維和島に分布する始新統白岳層より介形虫化石群の発見 (2016)
  • Author(s): 田中源吾・逸見泰久
  • Organizer: 日本古生物学会
  • Place of Presentation: 福井県立大学（福井県）
  • Year and Date: 2016-06-24
• [Presentation] 石川県白山市瀬戸野の手取層群石徹白亜層群 桑島層（下部白亜系）の海生微化石相 (2016)
  • Author(s): 柏木健司・伊左治鎭司・ 佐野晋一・田中源吾
  • Organizer: 日本古生物学会
  • Place of Presentation: 福井県立大学（福井県）
  • Year and Date: 2016-06-24
• [Book] 西山忠男・吉田茂生（編） 新しい地球惑星科学 (2019)
  • Author(s): 小松俊文・前田晴良・田中源吾 基礎編 １１．地球上で生命はどのように進化してきたか
  • Total Pages: 6
  • Publisher: 培風館
  • ISBN: 9784563025229
• [Remarks] 金沢大学 研究者情報
  • URL: https://ridb.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/public/detail.php?id=4603
• [Funded Workshop] Third Asian Owstracod Meeting (2018)