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Pandelis GG, Grundler MC, Rabosky DL. Ecological correlates of cranial evolution in the megaradiation of dipsadine snakes. BMC Ecol Evol 2023; 23:48. [PMID: 37679675 PMCID: PMC10485986 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-023-02157-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dipsadine snakes represent one of the most spectacular vertebrate radiations that have occurred in any continental setting, with over 800 species in South and Central America. Their species richness is paralleled by stunning ecological diversity, ranging from arboreal snail-eating and aquatic eel-eating specialists to terrestrial generalists. Despite the ecological importance of this clade, little is known about the extent to which ecological specialization shapes broader patterns of phenotypic diversity within the group. Here, we test how habitat use and diet have influenced morphological diversification in skull shape across 160 dipsadine species using micro-CT and 3-D geometric morphometrics, and we use a phylogenetic comparative approach to test the contributions of habitat use and diet composition to variation in skull shape among species. RESULTS We demonstrate that while both habitat use and diet are significant predictors of shape in many regions of the skull, habitat use significantly predicts shape in a greater number of skull regions when compared to diet. We also find that across ecological groupings, fossorial and aquatic behaviors result in the strongest deviations in morphospace for several skull regions. We use simulations to address the robustness of our results and describe statistical anomalies that can arise from the application of phylogenetic generalized least squares to complex shape data. CONCLUSIONS Both habitat and dietary ecology are significantly correlated with skull shape in dipsadines; the strongest relationships involved skull shape in snakes with aquatic and fossorial lifestyles. This association between skull morphology and multiple ecological axes is consistent with a classic model of adaptive radiation and suggests that ecological factors were an important component in driving morphological diversification in the dipsadine megaradiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory G Pandelis
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA.
- Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA.
- Amphibian and Reptile Diversity Research Center, Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, 76019, USA.
| | - Michael C Grundler
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA
- Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA
| | - Daniel L Rabosky
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA
- Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA
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Pizzatto L, Oliveira JLD, Marques OA, Martins M. Body Shape and Food Habits of South American Goo-Eater Snakes of the GenusSibynomorphus. J HERPETOL 2018. [DOI: 10.2994/sajh-d-17-00049.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lígia Pizzatto
- Conjoint Researcher, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, University Drive, 2308, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Juliana Lima de Oliveira
- Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, 05508-090 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Otavio A.V. Marques
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Evolução, Instituto Butantan, Av. Dr. Vital Brasil, 1500, 05503-900, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcio Martins
- Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, 05508-090 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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McGivern JJ, Wray KP, Margres MJ, Couch ME, Mackessy SP, Rokyta DR. RNA-seq and high-definition mass spectrometry reveal the complex and divergent venoms of two rear-fanged colubrid snakes. BMC Genomics 2014; 15:1061. [PMID: 25476704 PMCID: PMC4289226 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-15-1061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2014] [Accepted: 11/20/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Largely because of their direct, negative impacts on human health, the venoms of front-fanged snakes of the families Viperidae and Elapidae have been extensively characterized proteomically, transcriptomically, and pharmacologically. However, relatively little is known about the molecular complexity and evolution of the venoms of rear-fanged colubrid snakes, which are, with a few notable exceptions, regarded as harmless to humans. Many of these snakes have venoms with major effects on their preferred prey, and their venoms are probably as critical to their survival as those of front-fanged elapids and viperids. Results We sequenced the venom-gland transcriptomes from a specimen of Hypsiglena (Desert Night Snake; family Colubridae, subfamily Dipsadinae) and of Boiga irregularis (Brown Treesnake; family Colubridae, subfamily Colubrinae) and verified the transcriptomic results proteomically by means of high-definition mass spectrometry. We identified nearly 3,000 nontoxin genes for each species. For B. irregularis, we found 108 putative toxin transcripts in 46 clusters with <1% nucleotide divergence, and for Hypsiglena we identified 79 toxin sequences that were grouped into 33 clusters. Comparisons of the venoms revealed divergent venom types, with Hypsiglena possessing a viper-like venom dominated by metalloproteinases, and B. irregularis having a more elapid-like venom, consisting primarily of three-finger toxins. Conclusions Despite the difficulty of procuring venom from rear-fanged species, we were able to complete all analyses from a single specimen of each species without pooling venom samples or glands, demonstrating the power of high-definition transcriptomic and proteomic approaches. We found a high level of divergence in the venom types of two colubrids. These two venoms reflected the hemorrhagic/neurotoxic venom dichotomy that broadly characterizes the difference in venom strategies between elapids and viperids.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Darin R Rokyta
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4295, USA.
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4
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Giraudo AR, Arzamendia V, Bellini GP, Bessa CA, Belén Costanzo M. Ecología de una gran serpiente sudamericana, Hydrodynastes gigas (Serpentes: Dipsadidae). REV MEX BIODIVERS 2014. [DOI: 10.7550/rmb.43765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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Mulcahy DG, Martínez-Gómez JE, Aguirre-León G, Cervantes-Pasqualli JA, Zug GR. Rediscovery of an endemic vertebrate from the remote Islas Revillagigedo in the eastern Pacific Ocean: the Clarión nightsnake lost and found. PLoS One 2014; 9:e97682. [PMID: 24837300 PMCID: PMC4023976 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0097682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2013] [Accepted: 04/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Vertebrates are currently going extinct at an alarming rate, largely because of habitat loss, global warming, infectious diseases, and human introductions. Island ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to invasive species and other ecological disturbances. Properly documenting historic and current species distributions is critical for quantifying extinction events. Museum specimens, field notes, and other archived materials from historical expeditions are essential for documenting recent changes in biodiversity. The Islas Revillagigedo are a remote group of four islands, 700–1100 km off the western coast of mainland México. The islands are home to many endemic plants and animals recognized at the specific- and subspecific-levels, several of which are currently threatened or have already gone extinct. Here, we recount the initial discovery of an endemic snake Hypsiglena ochrorhyncha unaocularus Tanner on Isla Clarión, the later dismissal of its existence, its absence from decades of field surveys, our recent rediscovery, and recognition of it as a distinct species. We collected two novel complete mitochondrial (mt) DNA genomes and up to 2800 base-pairs of mtDNA from several other individuals, aligned these with previously published mt-genome data from samples throughout the range of Hypsiglena, and conducted phylogenetic analyses to infer the biogeographic origin and taxonomic status of this population. We found the Isla Clarión population to be most closely related to populations in the Sonora–Sinaloa state border area of mainland México and Isla Santa Catalina, in the Gulf of California. Based on genetics, morphology, and geographic distributions, we also recognize these two other lineages as distinct species. Our study shows the importance of museum specimens, field notes, and careful surveys to accurately document biodiversity and brings these island endemics (Clarión and Santa Catalina nightsnakes) and mainland population near the Sonora–Sinaloa state border to the attention of conservation biologists currently monitoring biodiversity in these fragile subtropical ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel G. Mulcahy
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Juan E. Martínez-Gómez
- Instituto de Ecología, Asociación Civil, Red de Interacciones Multitróficas, Xalapa, Veracruz, México
| | - Gustavo Aguirre-León
- Instituto de Ecología, Asociación Civil, Red de Interacciones Multitróficas, Xalapa, Veracruz, México
| | | | - George R. Zug
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, United States of America
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Prey Chemical Discrimination by the Desert Nightsnake (Hypsiglena chlorophaea): A Comparison of Invertebrate and Vertebrate Prey. J HERPETOL 2012. [DOI: 10.1670/10-124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Peichoto ME, Tavares FL, Santoro ML, Mackessy SP. Venom proteomes of South and North American opisthoglyphous (Colubridae and Dipsadidae) snake species: a preliminary approach to understanding their biological roles. COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY D-GENOMICS & PROTEOMICS 2012; 7:361-9. [PMID: 22974712 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbd.2012.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2012] [Revised: 08/13/2012] [Accepted: 08/15/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Opisthoglyphous snake venoms remain under-explored despite being promising sources for ecological, evolutionary and biomedical/biotechnological research. Herein, we compared the protein composition and enzymatic properties of the venoms of Philodryas baroni (PbV), Philodryas olfersii olfersii (PooV) and Philodryas patagoniensis (PpV) from South America, and Hypsiglena torquata texana (HttV) and Trimorphodon biscutatus lambda (TblV) from North America. All venoms degraded azocasein, and this metalloproteinase activity was significantly inhibited by EDTA. PooV exhibited the highest level of catalytic activity towards synthetic substrates for serine proteinases. All venoms hydrolyzed acetylthiocholine at low levels, and only TblV showed phospholipase A(2) activity. 1D and 2D SDS-PAGE profile comparisons demonstrated species-specific components as well as several shared components. Size exclusion chromatograms from the three Philodryas venoms and HttV were similar, but TblV showed a notably different pattern. MALDI-TOF MS of crude venoms revealed as many as 49 distinct protein masses, assigned to six protein families. MALDI-TOF/TOF MS analysis of tryptic peptides confirmed the presence of cysteine-rich secretory proteins in all venoms, as well as a phospholipase A(2) and a three-finger toxin in TblV. Broad patterns of protein composition appear to follow phylogenetic lines, with finer scale variation likely influenced by ecological factors such as diet and habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- María E Peichoto
- Instituto Nacional de Medicina Tropical, Puerto Iguazú, Argentina.
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Liu Y, Ding L, Lei J, Zhao E, Tang Y. Eye size variation reflects habitat and daily activity patterns in colubrid snakes. J Morphol 2012; 273:883-93. [PMID: 22549850 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.20028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2011] [Revised: 02/21/2012] [Accepted: 02/29/2012] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The functioning of the vertebrate eye depends on its absolute size, which is presumably adapted to specific needs. Eye size variation in lidless and spectacled colubrid snakes was investigated, including 839 specimens belonging to 49 genera, 66 species and subspecies. Variations of adult eye diameters (EDs) in both absolute and relative terms between species were correlated with parameters reflecting behavioral ecology. In absolute terms, eye of arboreal species was larger than in terrestrial and semiaquatic species. For diurnal species, EDs of terrestrial species do not differ from semiaquatic species; for nocturnal species the ED of terrestrial species is larger than fossorial species but not different from semiaquatic species. In relative terms, ED did not differ significantly by habitat for diurnal species. Although the ED of terrestrial species is larger than fossorial species there were no differences for nocturnal species between semiaquatic and fossorial snakes. In contrast to other vertebrates studied to date, colubrid EDs in absolute and relative terms are larger in diurnal than in nocturnal species. These observations suggest that among colubrid snakes, eye size variation reflects adaptation to specific habitats, foraging strategies and daily activities, independently of phylogeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Liu
- Department of Herpetology, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
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Burke RL, Yurewicz KL. Influence of Size, Loss of Tail, and Burst Speed on Risk of Predation in the Banded Gecko ( Coleonyx variegatus). SOUTHWEST NAT 2012. [DOI: 10.1894/0038-4909-57.1.87] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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11
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Brooks S, Allison E, Gill J, Reynolds J. Reproductive and Trophic Ecology of an Assemblage of Aquatic and Semi-Aquatic Snakes in Tonle Sap, Cambodia. COPEIA 2009. [DOI: 10.1643/ce-07-102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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12
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RODRÍGUEZ-ROBLES JAVIERA, JESÚS-ESCOBAR JOSÉM. Molecular systematics of New World lampropeltinine snakes (Colubridae): implications for biogeography and evolution of food habits. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2008. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.1999.tb01176.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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13
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MULCAHY DANIELG. Molecular systematics of neotropical cat-eyed snakes: a test of the monophyly of Leptodeirini (Colubridae: Dipsadinae) with implications for character evolution and biogeography. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2007. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2007.00855.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Stafford PJ, Henderson RW. ECOLOGICAL TRAITS OF THE COLUBRID SNAKE CONOPHIS LINEATUS CONCOLOR (GUARDA CAMINO) IN THE YUCATÁN PENINSULA. J HERPETOL 2006. [DOI: 10.2994/1808-9798(2006)1[210:etotcs]2.0.co;2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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15
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Mori A. Is headfirst ingestion essential in gape-limited predators? Prey-handling behavior of the anurophagous snake Rhabdophis tigrinus (Colubridae). CAN J ZOOL 2006. [DOI: 10.1139/z06-073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Headfirst ingestion of prey is a common adaptive behavioral trait in gape-limited predators that swallow large prey whole. To ascertain this tendency during anurophagy, prey handling and direction of prey ingestion were investigated in Rhabdophis tigrinus (Boie, 1826), a snake that feeds mainly on anurans. Examinations of stomach contents of wild R. tigrinus revealed that this snake does not show a tendency for headfirst ingestion of large prey, unlike most other snake species. In the laboratory, direction of ingestion depended largely on initial bite position, and when R. tigrinus swallowed a frog rump-first, the snake grasped both hind limbs of the frog and aligned them side by side so that both were swallowed together simultaneously from their tips. A simple model test suggested that physical resistance in the buccal cavity incurred during transportation of frogs may not differ between headfirst and hind-first ingestion if the hind limbs of frogs are aligned and swallowed simultaneously. Laboratory experiments also demonstrated that ingestively naive hatchlings of R. tigrinus are able to perform the unique manipulation required to swallow frogs hind-first. It is suggested that this unique ingestion mode is an adaptation for anurophagy, and several possible functional advantages are discussed.
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Diet and reproductive ecology of the Yucatán cricket-eating snake Symphimus mayae (Colubridae). J Zool (1987) 2005. [DOI: 10.1017/s0952836904006338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Rodríguez-Robles JA. Feeding ecology of North American gopher snakes (Pituophis catenifer, Colubridae). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2002. [DOI: 10.1046/j.1095-8312.2002.00098.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Rodríguez‐Robles JA, Greene HW. Food habits of the long‐nosed snake (
Rhinocheilus lecontei
), a ‘specialist’ predator? J Zool (1987) 1999. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7998.1999.tb01048.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Javier A. Rodríguez‐Robles
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720‐3160, U.S.A
| | - Harry W. Greene
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720‐3160, U.S.A
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