Scientists have discovered that young alligators have the ability to regrow their tails up to three-quarters of a foot — about 18 percent of their total body length. The researchers speculate that this ability to regrow tails gives the alligators a functional advantage in their murky aquatic habitats.

A team of researchers from Arizona State University and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries have uncovered that young alligators have the ability to regrow their tails up to three-quarters of a foot — about 18% of their total body length. They speculate that regrowing their tails gives the alligators a functional advantage in their murky aquatic habitats.

The team combined advanced imaging techniques with demonstrated methods of studying anatomy and tissue organization to examine the structure of these regrown tails. They found that these new tails were complex structures, with a central skeleton composed of cartilage surrounded by connective tissue that was interlaced with blood vessels and nerves. Their findings are published in the journal Scientific Reports.

«What makes the alligator interesting, apart from its size, is that the regrown tail exhibits signs of both regeneration and wound healing within the same structure,» said Cindy Xu, a recent PhD graduate from ASU’s School of Life Sciences molecular and cellular biology program and lead author of the paper.

«Regrowth of cartilage, blood vessels, nerves and scales were consistent with previous studies of lizard tail regeneration from our lab and others,» she said. «However, we were surprised to discover scar-like connective tissue in place of skeletal muscle in the regrown alligator tail. Future comparative studies will be important to understand why regenerative capacity is variable among different reptile and animal groups.»

«The spectrum of regenerative ability across species is fascinating, clearly there is a high cost to producing new muscle,» said Jeanne Wilson-Rawls, co-senior author and associate professor with ASU’s School of Life Sciences.

Story Source:
Materials provided by Arizona State University. Original written by Dominique Perkins. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.