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Published online 26 November 2007 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2007.286
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The long walk of the salamanders
Genetic studies unpick the travels of ancient amphibians from America to Asia.
Salamanders aren’t exactly the animals that spring to mind when it comes to long-distance journeys. But researchers studying their ancient history say that these usually unadventurous animals once relocated some 25,000 kilometres from America to Asia — and then some of them came back again.
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Please correct the caption: not salamanders as a whole, only the plethodontid salamanders are thought to come from North America. In the article, please capitalize Plethodontidae -- all scientific names except those of species start with a capital letter. Incidentally, all plethodontids are lungless; as adults (i.e. after they have lost the larval gills, for those species that have larvae), they breathe through the skin only. This is very rare elsewhere among salamanders.