Fossilized squirrel poop full of ancient animals, and more…

Ancient fossilized squirrel poop from the Yukon is revealing a stunning snapshot of Ice Age ecosystems, with DNA from woolly mammoths, horses, and 200 plant species preserved in the digestive remains of ground squirrels. These 'middens'—frozen burrows filled with ancient droppings—act as unintentional time capsules, showing that some ecosystems shifted from open grasslands to shrublands in just 40 years, challenging the idea that environmental change is always gradual. Meanwhile, scientists have identified key genes—SP6 and SP8—that orchestrate limb regeneration in axolotls, mice, and zebrafish, offering a potential blueprint for future human regenerative medicine. In another breakthrough, a fungal protein found in Arctic lichens can trigger ice formation at surprisingly warm temperatures, suggesting microbes may play a crucial role in rain and snow formation. This 'bioprecipitation' could lead to eco-friendly cloud seeding. Finally, a new book reveals that our bodies are not static genetic blueprints but dynamic landscapes of mutation—where some changes cause disease, but others enable immunity, healing, and even longevity, turning our own cells into a living laboratory of evolution.