Salamanders in Research


Salamanders have served as model organisms for more than a century. A majority of the earliest embryological and morphological analyses of vertebrate development were conducted using salamander embryos. Today, salamanders continue to be the best animal models for several areas of research and a new generation of researchers are adopting salamanders – and in particular the Mexican axolotl - as their primary animal model.  This webpage provides links to projects that are developing genomic and genetic resources to enhance the axolotl model.

Fun Facts

Why do axolotls retain a juvenile appearance throughout life?

Several salamanders, including the axolotl, retain juvenile characteristics as adults and are called paedomorphic.

The entire axolotl life cycle is spent under water, from birth to mating.

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