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Animal vision has not evolved as one might think. In contrast to the invention of photography and film—which began with the first black-and-white daguerreotypes in 1839, then added color in 1861, and finally motion in 1891—motion perception in animals appears to have evolved long before color vision. Indeed, as vision researcher Gordon Walls declared in 1942, perceiving motion is one of the most ancient and primitive forms of vision.
Even the humble housefly, which can only distinguish four to six different colors, is remarkably good at seeing motion. Try to swat a fly with your hand, and it will be gone long before you even get close. (The best way is to clap your hands above it so that it flies up between your hands. ...
