The Knoxville Mercury featured Benjamin Fitzpatrick, an associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, in this story about salamanders called mudpuppies. The salamanders got their name from making high-pitched whines when distressed.
Fitzpatrick and his collaborator, Stephen Nelson of the Knoxville Zoo, are on the hunt to discover new species to add to a genetic database they’re building. The discoveries could expand our understanding of southern geology and evolution.