Fascinating: Sea Spiders Regenerate Their Rear Ends

German researchers have published fascinating findings from their recent experimental work in evolution.

Via LiveScience:

In a series of experiments, scientists discovered that juveniles from the sea spider species Pycnogonum litorale were able to fully regenerate a number of amputated body parts from their lower body, including hind limbs, parts of their guts, reproductive organs and even their anuses. 

Sea spiders, which belong to the class Pycnogonida, are a group of around 1,300 marine arthropods with eight legs. While they look similar to terrestrial spiders they are only very distantly related to them. Other arthropods, such as spiders, centipedes and crabs, can also regenerate body parts, enabling them to escape predators that have taken a bite out of them.

The adult spiders failed to regenerate any of the amputated body parts, but an overwhelming majority of the juveniles did. The team speculates that stem cells (generic cells that transform into more specialized cells, like those in specific organs and tissues) drive the regrowth.

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While fascinating in its own right, studying the regenerative capacity of spiders has important biomedical implications because, at some point, researchers may be able to pinpoint the mechanism that facilitates the process. They could then potentially reproduce it in humans to regrow new organs and tissues damaged by injury or illness.