Researchers in Switzerland solve mystery of patterns on gecko skin
Scientists at the University of Geneva have unravelled the mystery behind the skin patterns of leopard geckos. According to their study, the disappearance of a specific cell type is responsible for the distinctive leopard pattern observed on the geckos' skin.
This content was published on
3 minutes
Keystone-SDA
Deutsch
de
Forschende Lösen Rätsel um Muster auf Gecko-Haut
Original
In their early months, leopard geckos display stripes akin to zebras. As they grow up, these stripes transform into spots on the gecko’s skin. The researchers wanted to better understand this transformation, as the University of Geneva in French-speaking Switzerland announced on Wednesday.
To achieve this, they analysed skin samples from leopard geckos at different stages of their development. They discovered that young striped animals have three types of pigment cells. However, as the animals mature, one type of pigment cell, known as iridophores, disappears.
Analysis of the geckos’ tails
Further evidence that the absence of iridophores results in spotted skin was gathered through an examination of leopard gecko tails. When these are amputated, they regenerate. Regardless of the gecko’s age, the newly grown tail always exhibits spots rather than stripes. Analysis of the skin from these regenerated tails revealed the absence of iridophores.
Mehr
Mehr
Award-winning photos show the hidden beauty of Swiss research
This content was published on
The winners of the Swiss National Science Foundation’s 2023 scientific image competition.
The researchers conducted additional tests on geckos with a unique mutation. Leopard geckos with the “Mack Super Snow” mutation are entirely black in their youth before developing spots similar to their counterparts as adults. Apart from the iridophores, another type of pigment cell was absent in the skin of these geckos.
According to the researchers, this shows that a combination of two types of pigment cells is accountable for the striped pattern in young animals. However, one type of pigment cell can independently create spots without the involvement of other pigment cells. The researchers published these findings in the journal “PNAS”.
Translated from German by DeepL/sp
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, if you want to learn more about how we use technology, click here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to [email protected].
External Content
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Almost finished… We need to confirm your email address. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you.
Popular Stories
Mehr
Life & Aging
Why liberal Switzerland is opposed to the Sarco suicide capsule
Davos restaurant tenant convicted of racial discrimination
This content was published on
The tenant of the Pischa mountain restaurant in Davos has been sentenced to a conditional fine for racial discrimination after he refused to rent sledges to Jewish guests.
Swiss triathlete Julie Derron clinches Olympic silver: a family triumph in Paris
This content was published on
For the second time, a Swiss medal ceremony was held on Wednesday evening at the Maison Suisse in Paris. Triathlon silver medallist Julie Derron expressed special gratitude to her family.
Earth overshoot day: humanity consumes resources as if we have 1.7 planets
This content was published on
As of today, Thursday, humanity has consumed more resources than the Earth can replenish in a year. In other words, we are living as if we had 1.7 Earths at our disposal, study shows.
Swiss foreign ministry wary of possible Middle East escalation
This content was published on
A regional conflict must be prevented, said Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis on Wednesday. Swiss citizens have been advised to leave Lebanon.
Davos restaurateur fined for discrimination after sledge incident
This content was published on
The operator of a mountain restaurant in Davos was fined for racial discrimination after refusing to hire sledges to Jewish guests.
High-speed rail links from Switzerland to Paris cancelled
This content was published on
Swiss Federal Railways has advised against travelling to Paris on Wednesday due to the effects of bad weather in southeastern France.
Sudanese government agrees to attend Geneva peace talks
This content was published on
Sudan’s government has conditionally accepted a US invitation, raising hopes for a solution to end the country’s 15-month-old war.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at [email protected].