This undated handout photo obtained on July 9, 2026, from Marcial Quiroga-Carmona shows an Andean leaf-eared mouse. At first glance, it's a perfectly ordinary rodent. Yet the yellow-eared mouse is closer to a marvel of nature: able to live at more than 6,700 meters of altitude in the Andes, this small mammal is shaking up our understanding of physiological limits. Six years after its surprising discovery on some of the highest peaks in the worldplaces where vertebrate life was previously thought impossiblean international team of researchers is beginning to lift the veil on the secrets of this extraordinary animal. (Photo by Handout / Marcial Quiroga-Carmona / AFP via Getty Images) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / Marcial Quiroga-Carmona / Handout" - HANDOUT - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS