Blind cavefish in Mexico's cave ponds evolved heightened taste through increased taste buds due to loss of sight.

Blind cavefish evolved extraordinary taste buds on their head and chin due to loss of sight in Mexico's cave ponds. Over thousands of years, they lost their vision but developed a heightened sense of taste, with taste buds increasing into adulthood. Researchers at the University of Cincinnati found that this adaptation is controlled by two regions of the genome. The increased taste buds may help cavefish adapt to different food sources and environments.

August 15, 2024
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