geekosystem

Zebrafish are the guinea pigs of the undersea world, used by countless researchers across the world to study neuroscience, genomics, and just about everything in between. Though the fish are well understood, they also have qualities that still flummox researchers. Topping that list is the fishes' inexplicable ability to regrow brain cells. The neat trick -- which is severely limited in humans and other mammals -- may have an unlikely origin, as new research suggests that the regenerative process is jumpstarted by inflammation that can be severely damaging to the brain as well.

Regenerating body parts has always been considered the province of animals like lizards and amphibians -- a nifty trait that mammals left behind on the evolutionary road. That's not true for all mammals, though. Researchers report in the journal Nature this week that the African spiny mouse is able to lose up to 60% of the skin on its back to no ill effect -- and then regenerate that skin, complete with hair, sweat glands and cartilage, instead of the scar tissue most mammals would develop.