Where There Is No Light

In 2015, a spelunker named Joachim Kreiselmaier discovered a troglobite, a species that lives in underground environments, in the Danube-Aach cave system in South Germany. This small, pale fish had an elongated body, large nostrils, and minuscule, non-functional eyes. It was the first species of cave fish found in Europe and was related to loaches from the nearby Danube River. These cave fish lost their eyesight and pigmentation not because they stopped needing them, but due to evolution by natural selection.

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

Works Cited

Adamson, Allan. “Europe’s First Cave Fish Found by Spelunker in Germany.” Tech Times, 5 Apr. 2017, www.techtimes.com/articles/203973/20170405/europes-first-cave-fish-found-by-spelunker-in-germany.htm.

“Alabama Cavefish | Outdoor Alabama.” Outdoor Alabama, www.outdooralabama.com/cavefish/alabama-cavefish.

Katz, Brigit. “Europe’s Only Known Cavefish Discovered in Germany.” Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Apr. 2017, www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/europes-only-known-cavefish-discovered-germany-180962786.

Kemeny, Richard. “Blind Mexican Cave Fish Are Developing Cave-specific Accents.” New Scientist, 20 Apr. 2022, www.newscientist.com/article/2316002-blind-mexican-cave-fish-are-developing-cave-specific-accents.

McGrath, By Matt. “‘Surprise’ Discovery of Europe’s First Cave-dwelling Fish.” BBC News, 4 Apr. 2017, www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-39446505.

Necrobioarchetype. “Cave Divers Exploring the Danube-Aach System and First Footage of Cave Loaches.” YouTube, 4 Apr. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=dviEizHK8lU.

Page, Michael Le. “Blind Cave Fish Lost Eyes by Unexpected Evolutionary Process.” New Scientist, 1 Dec. 2017, www.newscientist.com/article/2150233-blind-cave-fish-lost-eyes-by-unexpected-evolutionary-process.

Rantin, Bianca, and Maria Elina Bichuette. “Cure From the Cave: Volcanic Cave Actinomycetes and Their Potential in Drug Discovery.” International Journal of Speleology, vol. 42, no. 1, Società Speleologica Italiana, Jan. 2013, pp. 57–63. https://doi.org/10.5038/1827-806x.42.1.7.

Music in this Episode

Parisian by Kevin MacLeod, Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4194-parisian, License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Floating by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com

Curious Process Delight by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology news

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