A large audience and a panel of experts at Gravitational Waves event.

UMD's Daphne Soares' startling discovery about blind cavefish

/ 28 March 2013 /

University of Maryland Biology Professor Daphne Soares' surprising discovery about blind cavefish is making news. Her research shows at least two species of amblyopsid cavefish are partially deaf, as well as blind.  "The first hypothesis we had was that these fish that lost their sight should have an increase in hearing capabilities," Prof. Soares, a sensory neuroscientist, told Live Science. "It was a big surprise when we found they were a little deaf, and it took a while to come up with an understanding of what was happening." Can you guess what evolutionary advantage partial deafness may provide to these fish? Read Prof. Soares' hypothesis in this NBC News story.

About the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences

The College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences at the University of Maryland educates more than 10,000 future scientific leaders in its undergraduate and graduate programs each year. The college's 10 departments and nine interdisciplinary research centers foster scientific discovery with annual sponsored research funding exceeding $250 million.