Hiroshima University (HU) held its first Hirodai Kitemin Seminar last December 24 at the Kiteminsai Lab — HU's satellite co-working space located next to the south exit of JR Hiroshima Station. The seminar was titled "Protecting the Japanese giant salamander, a living national treasure."

About 30 people of all ages, from elementary and junior high school students to older adults, participated in the event in person. About 35 joined online. Two experts from HU talked about the origin and evolution of the Japanese giant salamander and the problem of hybridization with non-native species. A Q&A session followed the talk.

Based on his analysis of the mitochondrial genes of salamanders, Associate Professor Ikuo Miura of the Amphibian Research Center pointed out that Japanese giant salamanders once experienced a bottleneck, losing most of their population. He also presented music created based on DNA sequences.

Addressing the issue of salamander hybridization, Associate Professor Norio Shimizu of the Hiroshima University Museum reported the results of a study showing that 27 of 34 salamanders captured in the Yahata River in Hiroshima City were hybrid species.

"It is thought that Japanese giant salamanders are migrating through human influence. We should never allow people to drastically change the nature created over tens of millions of years," said Shimizu.

Participants made such comments as "I was able to learn about the fascinating aspects of classification and evolution through the salamander," "I think it is important to 'know' to prevent the increase of hybrid species," and "I hope you will continue to protect these precious amphibians and their precious lives."

The Hirodai Kitemin Seminar aims to use the Kiteminsai Lab — newly opened in October 2022 — as a hub to disseminate HU's knowledge to society. In the future, we plan to cover a diverse range of topics such as biology, environmental issues, space, advanced science, culture, medicine, and more.