Blind free-living kiwi offer a unique window into the ecology and evolution of vertebrate vision

BMC Biol. 2017 Sep 15;15(1):85. doi: 10.1186/s12915-017-0424-0.

¹ William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, 1 Garrod Drive, Davis, CA, 95695, USA.
² Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
³ Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, P.O. Box 467, Wellington, New Zealand.
⁴ From the Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA. cjmurphy@ucdavis.edu.
⁵ Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, School of Medicine, University of California, 2315 Stockton Blvd, Sacramento, CA, USA. cjmurphy@ucdavis.edu.

Abstract

The first report of multiple, blind, wild birds in good health suggests vision is not necessary for the survival of kiwi.