Transposable elements at the water to land transition

Hundreds of millions of years ago, our distant ancestors fish with fleshy fins took their first steps onto land. This major evolutionary leap led to the development of key features we now take for granted: hands, tongues, bladders, and even the way our hearts pump blood. But how did these new body parts come to be? To answer this question, researchers are studying the axolotl, a fascinating salamander with an extraordinary ability to regenerate body parts. By analyzing the axolotl`s cells and DNA, they aim to uncover how genes were controlled when these new organs first evolved. They will also explore whether "jumping genes" (small pieces of DNA that move around in the genome) played a role in shaping the organs that helped our ancestors thrive on land. This project could reveal fundamental insights into how evolution creates new body structures, shedding light on our own deep biological history.