Small, colorless, and blind, amblyopsid cavefishes inhabit subterranean waters throughout the eastern United States. In a new study, Yale researchers reveal insights into just how these distinctive cave dwellers evolved — and provide a unique method for dating the underground ecosystems where they reside.  

In an analysis of the genomes of all known amblyopsid species, the researchers foundthat the different species colonized caves systems independently of each other and separately evolved similar traits — such as the loss of eyes and pigment — as they adapted to their dark cave environments. 

Their findings are published in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution.

New proteomics research is enabling scientists to decipher how neurotransmitter receptors behave and change as an organism develops. The new work could help scientists better understand the formation and function of synapses—the junctions where communication signals are passed between neurons.