infrared sensing organs -me to copi


for Ai ----÷

I am composing an argument to the affect
that infrared perception has evolved more than once among living things on planet Earth, so it has probably done so on other worlds of life in the cosmos too. It's not far-fetched to suppose if and when we encounter extraterrestrial aliens their morphology or anatomy may include infrared sensing organs of some kind.

I'd like you to help me make a comparison between infrared sensory organ systems on two very different kinds of animals; pit vipers and 'Fire chaser beetles'.

"Fire chaser beetles, also known as the genus Melanophila, are insects that are uniquely attracted to forest fires. They use specialized infrared sensors on their thorax to detect heat from distant fires..."
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I presume those infrared sensors probably involve quite different anatomy and histology than the infrared-perceiving sensory organs of vertebrates.
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Consider the pit vipers; i am aware (and will explain) that such snakes have a heat-sensitive pit organ on either side of their head between each eye and nostril. I'll say it's an organ with a membrane like an eardrum that divides the jelly-filled pit into two sections. The jelly incorporates an extremely heat-sensitive protein. The membrane has many nerve endings. When prey comes into range, infrared radiation falling onto the membrane allows the snake to determine its direction. Having one of these organs on either side of its head results in a stereoscopic effect for the snake, one that indicates not only direction but distance too.

Nerves from the pit organ link to a special nexus in the pit viper's brain that produces a thermal image.

Online sources say the Fire Chaser Beetle's thorax-borne organ is comprised of "domes", not pits. And the cavities (?) contain not jelly but water.

I think a comparison of these non-matching biological structures - one on invertebrate beetles, the other one on vertebrare snakes - having developed here on Earth to accomplish the goal of perceiving infrared radiation as a sense constitutes a power point for the argument I'll make.

Please help me explore this comparison.
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WOW they are legion
Wiki ---÷ "They are distinguished by the presence of a heat-sensing pit organ located between the eye and the nostril on both sides of the head. Currently, 23 genera and 155 species are recognized"
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Like Boas & Pythons but Slightly Different


Quoting maybe wikipedia ---> “The pit organ is complex in structure and is similar to the thermoreceptive labial pits found in boas and pythons. It is deep and located in a maxillary cavity. The membrane is like an eardrum that divides the pit into two sections of unequal size, with the larger of the two facing forwards and exposed to the environment. The two sections are connected via a narrow tube, or duct, that can be opened or closed by a group of surrounding muscles. By controlling this tube, the snake can balance the air pressure on either side of the membrane.[2] The membrane has many nerve endings packed with mitochondria. Succinic dehydrogenase, lactic dehydrogenase, adenosine triphosphate, monoamine oxidase, generalized esterases, and acetylcholine esterase have also been found in it.[5] When prey comes into range, infrared radiation falling onto the membrane allows the snake to determine its direction.[2] Having one of these organs on either side of the head produces a stereo effect that indicates distance, as well as direction.”

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