On Apr. 3, 2013, scientists announced they had decoded the genome of the western painted turtle, one of the most abundant turtles on Earth, a move that may unravel clues about the creature’s ability to survive without oxygen during long winters spent hibernating in ice-covered ponds.

The research team included scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, the University of California at Los Angeles, St. Louis University and other institutions The multi-institutional team of researchers published their work in the journal Genome Biology.