Nature's Notepad

Who would’ve thought that I would gain a newfound appreciation for salamanders? I remember the first time I held one during one of the labs I did in undergrad, where live reptiles and amphibians were brought in. That was when I held a salamander for the very first time. And it wasn’t until that moment when I realized how adorable they were. The blue-spotted salamander slowly crawled across my hands, exploring each crevice it reached. I couldn’t tell you how long I was watching the little creature, examining each movement it made.    My fascination sparked even more what I learned about the genetic mysteries surrounding the blue-spotted salamander. There is a group of hybrid, unisexual lineages that are mainly female , and these hybridized salamanders are associated with both the pure blue-spotted salamander species and Jefferson salamander species . But what’s interesting is that this hybridized group has an unusual number of chromosome sets for vertebrates, ranging from three...