The Surprising Resilience of a Smiling Salamander and some Old Buried Seeds

The surprising resilience of a smiling salamander and some old buried seeds

Progress roundup: Captive-bred salamander can survive in the wild, and old fynbos seeds will germinate, sowing science’s hope for habitat restoration.

Hope Beneath The Water: Mexico’s Endangered Axolotls Return To The Wild

LaDame Bucolique via Pixabay In the heart of Mexico, a promising conservation success story is quietly unfolding. A dedicated team of scientists has recently celebrated a major milestone in their mission to save one of the planet’s rarest and most peculiar amphibians — the axolotl.  Thanks to a carefully managed captive-breeding program, 18 of these unusual creatures were released into a specially prepared habitat, with all 18 not only surviving…

A chemical in acne medicine can help regenerate limbs

If an axolotl loses a leg, it gets a new one–complete with a functional foot and all four toes. Over just a few weeks or months, bone, muscle, skin, and nerves grow back in exactly the same formation as the lost limb. The endangered, aquatic, Mexican salamander are masters of regeneration, showcasing the best of an ability shared by many other amphibians, reptiles, and fish species. But how do these cold-blooded creatures do it? That some specie…