Weird skin-eating amphibians have no legs due to snake-like mutation

1 year ago 136

Life

Worm-like amphibians called caecilians have a mutation in a genetic sequence that’s critical for limb development, which could explain how they became limbless

By Jake Buehler

Mexican burrowing caecilian (Dermophis mexicanus)

Worm-like amphibians known as caecilians may have lost their legs thanks to the same genetic tweaks that snakes have.

An analysis of the amphibians’ genomes suggests that caecilians and snakes – separated by hundreds of millions of years of evolution – converged on the same mutations when ditching their limbs. The findings provide insights into the genetic underpinnings of the evolution of limblessness.

The 200-some species of caecilian are totally limbless, and live secretive lives in tropical soils or waterways. They have small or nonexistent eyes and …

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