The Eyes of a Reindeer

The eyes of Arctic reindeer are golden-colored during the long summer and turn a deep blue in winter. David Catchpoole reports (Creation magazine, Vol.39, No. 3, 2017) that for about 12 years a group of neuroscientists tried to discover why this dramatic change takes place each year. What they found had to do with the reflective surface behind the retina, commonly known as ‘cat’s eye”. In the bright summer, where they have nearly 24 hours of light in some days, that reflective surface is golden so that most of the light is reflected back through the retina. In winter when darkness rules the blue is needed to pick up the shorter wavelengths prominent in situations with less light. Colder weather causes contractions, reducing the spacing between the collagen fibres in the reflective surface which results in picking up the blue wavelengths from the electromagnetic spectrum. This increases the reindeer’s ability to see in the darkness.

What a wonderful design feature our Creator has placed in those deer. It is fitting to marvel at such incredible genius and give Him credit for it.

Seems like there’s a sunny side to winter too.

Henry Wiebe