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Global road networks continue to expand, and the wildlife responses to these landscape-level changes need to be understood to advise long-term management decisions. Roads have high mortality risk to snakes because snakes typically move slowly and can be intentionally targeted by drivers. We investigated how radio-tracked King Cobras (Ophiophagus hannah) traverse a major highway in northeast Thailand, and if reproductive cycles were associated with road hazards. We surveyed a 15.3km stretch of Highway 304 to determine if there were any locations where snakes, and other wildlife, could safely move across the road (e.g., culverts, bridges). We used recurse analysis to detect possible road-crossing events, and used subsets of King Cobra movement data to create dynamic Brownian Bridge Movement Models (dBBMM) in an attempt to show movement pathways association with possible unintentional crossing structures. We further used Integrated Step Selection Functions (ISSF) to assess seasonal differences in avoidance of major roads for adult King Cobras in relation to reproductive state. We discovered 32 unintentional wildlife crossing locations capable of facilitating King Cobra movement across the highway. Our dBBMMs failed to show if underpasses were being used by telemetered individuals; however, the tracking locations pre- and post-crossing provided strong evidence of underpass use. Our ISSF suggested a lower avoidance of roads during the breeding season, though the results were inconclusive. With the high volume of traffic, large size of King Cobras and a 98.8% success rate of crossing the road in our study, we strongly suspect that individuals are using the unintentional crossing structures to safely traverse the road. Further research is needed to determine the extent of wildlife underpass use at our study site and globally, alongside using previously proven fencing to facilitate their use. We propose that more consistent integration of drainage culverts and bridges could help mitigate the impacts of roads on some terrestrial wildlife, particularly in areas where roads fragment forests and wildlife corridors.
Max Dolton Jones; Benjamin Michael Marshall; Samantha Nicole Smith; Matt Crane; Inês Silva; Taksin Artchawakom; Pongthep Suwanwaree; Surachit Waengsothorn; Wolfgang Wüster; Matt Goode; Colin Thomas Strine. How do King Cobras move across a major highway? Unintentional wildlife crossing structures may facilitate movement. 2021, 1 .
AMA StyleMax Dolton Jones, Benjamin Michael Marshall, Samantha Nicole Smith, Matt Crane, Inês Silva, Taksin Artchawakom, Pongthep Suwanwaree, Surachit Waengsothorn, Wolfgang Wüster, Matt Goode, Colin Thomas Strine. How do King Cobras move across a major highway? Unintentional wildlife crossing structures may facilitate movement. . 2021; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMax Dolton Jones; Benjamin Michael Marshall; Samantha Nicole Smith; Matt Crane; Inês Silva; Taksin Artchawakom; Pongthep Suwanwaree; Surachit Waengsothorn; Wolfgang Wüster; Matt Goode; Colin Thomas Strine. 2021. "How do King Cobras move across a major highway? Unintentional wildlife crossing structures may facilitate movement." , no. : 1.
We assess the availability of four names proposed by Wells & Wellington (1985) for Australian death adders (Acanthophis). In agreement with previous literature, A. hawkei is an available name, whereas A. armstrongi, A. lancasteri, and A. schistos are not described in conformity with the requirements of Articles 13.1.1 or 13.1.2 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature and are therefore considered nomina nuda. Consequently, A. cryptamydros Maddock et al., 2015, is confirmed as the valid name for the Kimberley death adder of Western Australia. We comment on the need for greater clarity in the Code, and emphasise that the responsibility for establishing the availability of new nomina rests with their authors, not subsequent researchers.
Ryan J. Ellis; Hinrich Kaiser; Simon T. Maddock; Paul Doughty; Wolfgang Wüster. An evaluation of the nomina for death adders (Acanthophis Daudin, 1803) proposed by Wells & Wellington (1985), and confirmation of A. cryptamydros Maddock et al., 2015 as the valid name for the Kimberley death adder. Zootaxa 2021, 4995, 161 -172.
AMA StyleRyan J. Ellis, Hinrich Kaiser, Simon T. Maddock, Paul Doughty, Wolfgang Wüster. An evaluation of the nomina for death adders (Acanthophis Daudin, 1803) proposed by Wells & Wellington (1985), and confirmation of A. cryptamydros Maddock et al., 2015 as the valid name for the Kimberley death adder. Zootaxa. 2021; 4995 (1):161-172.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRyan J. Ellis; Hinrich Kaiser; Simon T. Maddock; Paul Doughty; Wolfgang Wüster. 2021. "An evaluation of the nomina for death adders (Acanthophis Daudin, 1803) proposed by Wells & Wellington (1985), and confirmation of A. cryptamydros Maddock et al., 2015 as the valid name for the Kimberley death adder." Zootaxa 4995, no. 1: 161-172.
The secretive behavior and life history of snakes makes studying their biology, distribution, and the epidemiology of venomous snakebite challenging. One of the most useful, most versatile, and easiest to collect types of biological data are photographs, particularly those that are connected with geographic location and date-time metadata. Photos verify occurrence records, provide data on phenotypes and ecology, and are often used to illustrate new species descriptions, field guides and identification keys, as well as in training humans and computer vision algorithms to identify snakes. We scoured eleven online and two offline sources of snake photos in an attempt to collect as many photos of as many snake species as possible, and attempt to explain some of the inter-species variation in photograph quantity among global regions and taxonomic groups, and with regard to medical importance, human population density, and range size. We collected a total of 725,565 photos—between 1 and 48,696 photos of 3098 of the world's 3879 snake species (79.9%), leaving 781 “most wanted” species with no photos (20.1% of all currently-described species as of the December 2020 release of The Reptile Database). We provide a list of most wanted species sortable by family, continent, authority, and medical importance, and encourage snake photographers worldwide to submit photos and associated metadata, particularly of “missing” species, to the most permanent and useful online archives: The Reptile Database, iNaturalist, and HerpMapper.
Andrew M. Durso; Rafael Ruiz de Castañeda; Camille Montalcini; M. Rosa Mondardini; Jose L. Fernandez-Marques; François Grey; Martin M. Müller; Peter Uetz; Benjamin M. Marshall; Russell J. Gray; Christopher E. Smith; Donald Becker; Michael Pingleton; Jose Louies; Arthur D. Abegg; Jeannot Akuboy; Gabriel Alcoba; Jennifer C. Daltry; Omar M. Entiauspe-Neto; Paul Freed; Marco Antonio de Freitas; Xavier Glaudas; Song Huang; Tianqi Huang; Yatin Kalki; Yosuke Kojima; Anne Laudisoit; Kul Prasad Limbu; José G. Martínez-Fonseca; Konrad Mebert; Mark-Oliver Rödel; Sara Ruane; Manuel Ruedi; Andreas Schmitz; Sarah A. Tatum; Frank Tillack; Avinash Visvanathan; Wolfgang Wüster; Isabelle Bolon. Citizen science and online data: Opportunities and challenges for snake ecology and action against snakebite. Toxicon: X 2021, 9-10, 100071 .
AMA StyleAndrew M. Durso, Rafael Ruiz de Castañeda, Camille Montalcini, M. Rosa Mondardini, Jose L. Fernandez-Marques, François Grey, Martin M. Müller, Peter Uetz, Benjamin M. Marshall, Russell J. Gray, Christopher E. Smith, Donald Becker, Michael Pingleton, Jose Louies, Arthur D. Abegg, Jeannot Akuboy, Gabriel Alcoba, Jennifer C. Daltry, Omar M. Entiauspe-Neto, Paul Freed, Marco Antonio de Freitas, Xavier Glaudas, Song Huang, Tianqi Huang, Yatin Kalki, Yosuke Kojima, Anne Laudisoit, Kul Prasad Limbu, José G. Martínez-Fonseca, Konrad Mebert, Mark-Oliver Rödel, Sara Ruane, Manuel Ruedi, Andreas Schmitz, Sarah A. Tatum, Frank Tillack, Avinash Visvanathan, Wolfgang Wüster, Isabelle Bolon. Citizen science and online data: Opportunities and challenges for snake ecology and action against snakebite. Toxicon: X. 2021; 9-10 ():100071.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAndrew M. Durso; Rafael Ruiz de Castañeda; Camille Montalcini; M. Rosa Mondardini; Jose L. Fernandez-Marques; François Grey; Martin M. Müller; Peter Uetz; Benjamin M. Marshall; Russell J. Gray; Christopher E. Smith; Donald Becker; Michael Pingleton; Jose Louies; Arthur D. Abegg; Jeannot Akuboy; Gabriel Alcoba; Jennifer C. Daltry; Omar M. Entiauspe-Neto; Paul Freed; Marco Antonio de Freitas; Xavier Glaudas; Song Huang; Tianqi Huang; Yatin Kalki; Yosuke Kojima; Anne Laudisoit; Kul Prasad Limbu; José G. Martínez-Fonseca; Konrad Mebert; Mark-Oliver Rödel; Sara Ruane; Manuel Ruedi; Andreas Schmitz; Sarah A. Tatum; Frank Tillack; Avinash Visvanathan; Wolfgang Wüster; Isabelle Bolon. 2021. "Citizen science and online data: Opportunities and challenges for snake ecology and action against snakebite." Toxicon: X 9-10, no. : 100071.
Self-published taxon descriptions, bereft of a basis of evidence, are a long-standing problem in taxonomy. The problem derives in part from the Principle of Priority in the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, which forces the use of the oldest available nomen irrespective of scientific merit. This provides a route to ‘immortality’ for unscrupulous individuals through the mass-naming of taxa without scientific basis, a phenomenon referred to as taxonomic vandalism. Following a flood of unscientific taxon namings, in 2013 a group of concerned herpetologists organized a widely supported, community-based campaign to treat these nomina as lying outside the permanent scientific record, and to ignore and overwrite them as appropriate. Here, we review the impact of these proposals over the past 8 years. We identified 59 instances of unscientific names being set aside and overwritten with science-based names (here termed aspidonyms), and 1087 uses of these aspidonyms, compared to one instance of preference for the overwritten names. This shows that when there is widespread consultation and agreement across affected research communities, setting aside certain provisions of the Code can constitute an effective last resort defence against taxonomic vandalism and enhance the universality and stability of the scientific nomenclature.
Wolfgang Wüster; Scott A Thomson; Mark O’Shea; Hinrich Kaiser. Confronting taxonomic vandalism in biology: conscientious community self-organization can preserve nomenclatural stability. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 2021, 133, 645 -670.
AMA StyleWolfgang Wüster, Scott A Thomson, Mark O’Shea, Hinrich Kaiser. Confronting taxonomic vandalism in biology: conscientious community self-organization can preserve nomenclatural stability. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 2021; 133 (3):645-670.
Chicago/Turabian StyleWolfgang Wüster; Scott A Thomson; Mark O’Shea; Hinrich Kaiser. 2021. "Confronting taxonomic vandalism in biology: conscientious community self-organization can preserve nomenclatural stability." Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 133, no. 3: 645-670.
Venom spitting is a defence mechanism based on airborne venom delivery used by a number of different African and Asian elapid snake species (‘spitting cobras’; Naja spp. and Hemachatus spp.). Adaptations underpinning venom spitting have been studied extensively at both behavioural and morphological level in cobras, but the role of the physical properties of venom itself in its effective projection remains largely unstudied. We hereby provide the first comparative study of the physical properties of venom in spitting and non-spitting cobras. We measured the viscosity, protein concentration and pH of the venom of 13 cobra species of the genus Naja from Africa and Asia, alongside the spitting elapid Hemachatus haemachatus and the non-spitting viper Bitis arietans. By using published microCT scans, we calculated the pressure required to eject venom through the fangs of a spitting and a non-spitting cobra. Despite the differences in the modes of venom delivery, we found no significant differences between spitters and non-spitters in the rheological and physical properties of the studied venoms. Furthermore, all analysed venoms showed a Newtonian flow behaviour, in contrast to previous reports. Although our results imply that the evolution of venom spitting did not significantly affect venom viscosity, our models of fang pressure suggests that the pressure requirements to eject venom are lower in spitting cobras than in non-spitting cobras.
Ignazio Avella; Edgar Barajas-Ledesma; Nicholas R. Casewell; Robert A. Harrison; Paul D. Rowley; Edouard Crittenden; Wolfgang Wüster; Riccardo Castiglia; Chris Holland; Arie van der Meijden. Unexpected lack of specialisation in the flow properties of spitting cobra venom. Journal of Experimental Biology 2021, 224, 1 .
AMA StyleIgnazio Avella, Edgar Barajas-Ledesma, Nicholas R. Casewell, Robert A. Harrison, Paul D. Rowley, Edouard Crittenden, Wolfgang Wüster, Riccardo Castiglia, Chris Holland, Arie van der Meijden. Unexpected lack of specialisation in the flow properties of spitting cobra venom. Journal of Experimental Biology. 2021; 224 (7):1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleIgnazio Avella; Edgar Barajas-Ledesma; Nicholas R. Casewell; Robert A. Harrison; Paul D. Rowley; Edouard Crittenden; Wolfgang Wüster; Riccardo Castiglia; Chris Holland; Arie van der Meijden. 2021. "Unexpected lack of specialisation in the flow properties of spitting cobra venom." Journal of Experimental Biology 224, no. 7: 1.
Convergent evolution provides insights into the selective drivers underlying evolutionary change. Snake venoms, with a direct genetic basis and clearly defined functional phenotype, provide a model system for exploring the repeated evolution of adaptations. While snakes use venom primarily for predation, and venom composition often reflects diet specificity, three lineages of cobras have independently evolved the ability to spit venom at adversaries. Using gene, protein, and functional analyses, we show that the three spitting lineages possess venoms characterized by an up-regulation of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) toxins, which potentiate the action of preexisting venom cytotoxins to activate mammalian sensory neurons and cause enhanced pain. These repeated independent changes provide a fascinating example of convergent evolution across multiple phenotypic levels driven by selection for defense.
T. D. Kazandjian; D. Petras; S. D. Robinson; J. van Thiel; H. W. Greene; K. Arbuckle; A. Barlow; D. A. Carter; R. M. Wouters; G. Whiteley; S. C. Wagstaff; A. S. Arias; L.-O. Albulescu; A. Plettenberg Laing; C. Hall; A. Heap; S. Penrhyn-Lowe; C. V. McCabe; S. Ainsworth; R. R. da Silva; P. C. Dorrestein; M. K. Richardson; J. M. Gutiérrez; J. J. Calvete; R. A. Harrison; I. Vetter; E. A. B. Undheim; W. Wüster; N. R. Casewell. Convergent evolution of pain-inducing defensive venom components in spitting cobras. Science 2021, 371, 386 -390.
AMA StyleT. D. Kazandjian, D. Petras, S. D. Robinson, J. van Thiel, H. W. Greene, K. Arbuckle, A. Barlow, D. A. Carter, R. M. Wouters, G. Whiteley, S. C. Wagstaff, A. S. Arias, L.-O. Albulescu, A. Plettenberg Laing, C. Hall, A. Heap, S. Penrhyn-Lowe, C. V. McCabe, S. Ainsworth, R. R. da Silva, P. C. Dorrestein, M. K. Richardson, J. M. Gutiérrez, J. J. Calvete, R. A. Harrison, I. Vetter, E. A. B. Undheim, W. Wüster, N. R. Casewell. Convergent evolution of pain-inducing defensive venom components in spitting cobras. Science. 2021; 371 (6527):386-390.
Chicago/Turabian StyleT. D. Kazandjian; D. Petras; S. D. Robinson; J. van Thiel; H. W. Greene; K. Arbuckle; A. Barlow; D. A. Carter; R. M. Wouters; G. Whiteley; S. C. Wagstaff; A. S. Arias; L.-O. Albulescu; A. Plettenberg Laing; C. Hall; A. Heap; S. Penrhyn-Lowe; C. V. McCabe; S. Ainsworth; R. R. da Silva; P. C. Dorrestein; M. K. Richardson; J. M. Gutiérrez; J. J. Calvete; R. A. Harrison; I. Vetter; E. A. B. Undheim; W. Wüster; N. R. Casewell. 2021. "Convergent evolution of pain-inducing defensive venom components in spitting cobras." Science 371, no. 6527: 386-390.
Animals use venoms for multiple purposes, most prominently for prey acquisition and self-defense. In snakes, venom composition often evolves as a result of selection for optimization for local diet. However, whether selection for a defensive function has also played a role in driving the evolution of venom composition has remained largely unstudied. Here, we use an online survey of snakebite victims to test a key prediction of a defensive function, that envenoming should result in the rapid onset of severe pain. From the analysis of 584 snakebite reports, involving 192 species of venomous snake, we find that the vast majority of bites do not result in severe early pain. Phylogenetic comparative analysis shows that where early pain after a bite evolves, it is often lost rapidly. Our results, therefore, do not support the hypothesis that natural selection for antipredator defense played an important role in the origin of venom or front-fanged delivery systems in general, although there may be intriguing exceptions to this rule.
Harry Ward-Smith; Kevin Arbuckle; Arno Naude; Wolfgang Wüster. Fangs for the Memories? A Survey of Pain in Snakebite Patients Does Not Support a Strong Role for Defense in the Evolution of Snake Venom Composition. Toxins 2020, 12, 201 .
AMA StyleHarry Ward-Smith, Kevin Arbuckle, Arno Naude, Wolfgang Wüster. Fangs for the Memories? A Survey of Pain in Snakebite Patients Does Not Support a Strong Role for Defense in the Evolution of Snake Venom Composition. Toxins. 2020; 12 (3):201.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHarry Ward-Smith; Kevin Arbuckle; Arno Naude; Wolfgang Wüster. 2020. "Fangs for the Memories? A Survey of Pain in Snakebite Patients Does Not Support a Strong Role for Defense in the Evolution of Snake Venom Composition." Toxins 12, no. 3: 201.
Aim The expansion of open habitats during the mid‐Miocene has been hypothesized as a driver of allopatric speciation for many African taxa. This habitat‐dependent mode of diversification has been implicated in the shift from C3 (e.g. forest/woodland) to C4 dominated systems (i.e. open savanna, grasslands) in a number of African squamates. We examined this hypothesis using a genus of African viperid snakes (Bitis) with both open habitat and forest‐dwelling representatives. Location Africa. Methods A comprehensive multilocus dataset was used to generate a calibrated species tree using a multispecies coalescent model. Individual gene trees and patterns of nuclear allele sharing were used to assess species monophyly and isolation. To test the habitat‐dependent evolution hypothesis, we generated an ancestral character state reconstruction for open and closed habitats using the dated phylogeny. This was related to the timing of open habitat expansion and forest/woodland contraction in Africa. Results The genus Bitis originated in the Oligocene, with species level diversification in the late Miocene/Pliocene. Four well‐supported clades correspond to the recognized subgenera Bitis, Keniabitis, Macrocerastes and Calechidna. Several previously unrecognized lineages potentially represent cryptic species. Main conclusions Habitat‐dependent evolution does not appear to have been a main driver for generic level viperine diversification: the ancestral state for Bitis was open habitat and at least one clade moved into forest in the Miocene, long after forest had contracted and fragmented. Forest‐dependent species diversified only in the late Miocene, presumably as forest became further reduced in extent, fitting an allopatric model of speciation. Although our results do not favour a general pattern of habitat‐dependent diversification in Bitis, cladogenesis within the subgenus Calechidna for “arenicolous” species (Bitis caudalis complex) and “rupicolous” species (B. atropos‐cornuta complex), corresponds to the aridification of southwest Africa. This suggests there are subtleties not captured in the broad open habitat category, which are relevant for understanding the role of habitat‐dependent evolution.
Axel Barlow; Wolfgang Wüster; Christopher M. R. Kelly; William R. Branch; Tony Phelps; Krystal A. Tolley. Ancient habitat shifts and organismal diversification are decoupled in the African viper genusBitis(Serpentes: Viperidae). Journal of Biogeography 2019, 46, 1234 -1248.
AMA StyleAxel Barlow, Wolfgang Wüster, Christopher M. R. Kelly, William R. Branch, Tony Phelps, Krystal A. Tolley. Ancient habitat shifts and organismal diversification are decoupled in the African viper genusBitis(Serpentes: Viperidae). Journal of Biogeography. 2019; 46 (6):1234-1248.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAxel Barlow; Wolfgang Wüster; Christopher M. R. Kelly; William R. Branch; Tony Phelps; Krystal A. Tolley. 2019. "Ancient habitat shifts and organismal diversification are decoupled in the African viper genusBitis(Serpentes: Viperidae)." Journal of Biogeography 46, no. 6: 1234-1248.
Compassionate conservation focuses on 4 tenets: first, do no harm; individuals matter; inclusivity of individual animals; and peaceful coexistence between humans and animals. Recently, compassionate conservation has been promoted as an alternative to conventional conservation philosophy. We believe examples presented by compassionate conservationists are deliberately or arbitrarily chosen to focus on mammals; inherently not compassionate; and offer ineffective conservation solutions. Compassionate conservation arbitrarily focuses on charismatic species, notably large predators and megaherbivores. The philosophy is not compassionate when it leaves invasive predators in the environment to cause harm to vastly more individuals of native species or uses the fear of harm by apex predators to terrorize mesopredators. Hindering the control of exotic species (megafauna, predators) in situ will not improve the conservation condition of the majority of biodiversity even if compassionate conservationists do no harm to individuals of the exotic species. The positions taken by so‐called compassionate conservationists on particular species and on conservation actions could be extended to hinder other forms of conservation, including translocations, conservation fencing, and fertility control. Animal welfare is incredibly important to conservation, but ironically compassionate conservation does not offer the best welfare outcomes to animals and is often ineffective in achieving conservation goals. Consequently, compassionate conservation may threaten public and governmental support for conservation because of the general publics’ limited understanding of conservation problems. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved
Matt W. Hayward; Alex Callen; Benjamin L. Allen; Guy Ballard; Femke Broekhuis; Cassandra Bugir; Rohan H. Clarke; John Clulow; Simon Clulow; Jennifer C. Daltry; Harriet T. Davies‐Mostert; Peter Fleming; Andrea S. Griffin; Lachlan G. Howell; Graham I. H. Kerley; Kaya Klop‐Toker; Sarah Legge; Tom Major; Ninon Meyer; Robert A. Montgomery; Katherine Moseby; Daniel Parker; Stéphanie Périquet; John Read; Robert J. Scanlon; Rebecca Seeto; Craig Shuttleworth; Michael J. Somers; Cottrell T. Tamessar; Katherine Tuft; Rose Upton; Marcia Valenzuela‐Molina; Adrian Wayne; Ryan Witt; Wolfgang Wüster. Deconstructing compassionate conservation. Conservation Biology 2019, 33, 760 -768.
AMA StyleMatt W. Hayward, Alex Callen, Benjamin L. Allen, Guy Ballard, Femke Broekhuis, Cassandra Bugir, Rohan H. Clarke, John Clulow, Simon Clulow, Jennifer C. Daltry, Harriet T. Davies‐Mostert, Peter Fleming, Andrea S. Griffin, Lachlan G. Howell, Graham I. H. Kerley, Kaya Klop‐Toker, Sarah Legge, Tom Major, Ninon Meyer, Robert A. Montgomery, Katherine Moseby, Daniel Parker, Stéphanie Périquet, John Read, Robert J. Scanlon, Rebecca Seeto, Craig Shuttleworth, Michael J. Somers, Cottrell T. Tamessar, Katherine Tuft, Rose Upton, Marcia Valenzuela‐Molina, Adrian Wayne, Ryan Witt, Wolfgang Wüster. Deconstructing compassionate conservation. Conservation Biology. 2019; 33 (4):760-768.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMatt W. Hayward; Alex Callen; Benjamin L. Allen; Guy Ballard; Femke Broekhuis; Cassandra Bugir; Rohan H. Clarke; John Clulow; Simon Clulow; Jennifer C. Daltry; Harriet T. Davies‐Mostert; Peter Fleming; Andrea S. Griffin; Lachlan G. Howell; Graham I. H. Kerley; Kaya Klop‐Toker; Sarah Legge; Tom Major; Ninon Meyer; Robert A. Montgomery; Katherine Moseby; Daniel Parker; Stéphanie Périquet; John Read; Robert J. Scanlon; Rebecca Seeto; Craig Shuttleworth; Michael J. Somers; Cottrell T. Tamessar; Katherine Tuft; Rose Upton; Marcia Valenzuela‐Molina; Adrian Wayne; Ryan Witt; Wolfgang Wüster. 2019. "Deconstructing compassionate conservation." Conservation Biology 33, no. 4: 760-768.
Understanding the origin and maintenance of phenotypic variation, particularly across a continuous spatial distribution, represents a key challenge in evolutionary biology. For this, animal venoms represent ideal study systems: they are complex, variable, yet easily quantifiable molecular phenotypes with a clear function. Rattlesnakes display tremendous variation in their venom composition, mostly through strongly dichotomous venom strategies, which may even coexist within a single species. Here, through dense, widespread population-level sampling of the Mojave rattlesnake, Crotalus scutulatus , we show that genomic structural variation at multiple loci underlies extreme geographical variation in venom composition, which is maintained despite extensive gene flow. Unexpectedly, neither diet composition nor neutral population structure explain venom variation. Instead, venom divergence is strongly correlated with environmental conditions. Individual toxin genes correlate with distinct environmental factors, suggesting that different selective pressures can act on individual loci independently of their co-expression patterns or genomic proximity. Our results challenge common assumptions about diet composition as the key selective driver of snake venom evolution and emphasize how the interplay between genomic architecture and local-scale spatial heterogeneity in selective pressures may facilitate the retention of adaptive functional polymorphisms across a continuous space.
Giulia Zancolli; Juan J. Calvete; Michael D. Cardwell; Harry W. Greene; William K. Hayes; Matthew J. Hegarty; Hans-Werner Herrmann; Andrew T. Holycross; Dominic I. Lannutti; John F. Mulley; Libia Sanz; Zachary D. Travis; Joshua R. Whorley; Catharine E. Wüster; Wolfgang Wüster. When one phenotype is not enough: divergent evolutionary trajectories govern venom variation in a widespread rattlesnake species. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences 2019, 286, 20182735 .
AMA StyleGiulia Zancolli, Juan J. Calvete, Michael D. Cardwell, Harry W. Greene, William K. Hayes, Matthew J. Hegarty, Hans-Werner Herrmann, Andrew T. Holycross, Dominic I. Lannutti, John F. Mulley, Libia Sanz, Zachary D. Travis, Joshua R. Whorley, Catharine E. Wüster, Wolfgang Wüster. When one phenotype is not enough: divergent evolutionary trajectories govern venom variation in a widespread rattlesnake species. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences. 2019; 286 (1898):20182735.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGiulia Zancolli; Juan J. Calvete; Michael D. Cardwell; Harry W. Greene; William K. Hayes; Matthew J. Hegarty; Hans-Werner Herrmann; Andrew T. Holycross; Dominic I. Lannutti; John F. Mulley; Libia Sanz; Zachary D. Travis; Joshua R. Whorley; Catharine E. Wüster; Wolfgang Wüster. 2019. "When one phenotype is not enough: divergent evolutionary trajectories govern venom variation in a widespread rattlesnake species." Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences 286, no. 1898: 20182735.
SUMMARYUnderstanding the relationship between genome, phenotypic variation, and the ecological pressures that act to maintain that variation, represents a fundamental challenge in evolutionary biology. Functional polymorphisms typically segregate in spatially isolated populations [1, 2] and/or discrete ecological conditions [3-5], whereas dissecting the evolutionary processes involved in adaptive geographic variation across a continuous spatial distribution is much more challenging [6]. Additionally, pleiotropic interactions between genes and phenotype often complicate the identification of specific genotype-phenotype links [7-8], and thus of the selective pressures acting on them. Animal venoms are ideal systems to overcome these constraints: they are complex and variable, yet easily quantifiable molecular phenotypes with a clear function and a direct link to both genome and fitness [9]. Here, we use dense and widespread population-level sampling of the Mohave rattlesnake, Crotalus scutulatus, and show that genomic structural variation at multiple loci underlies extreme geographic variation in venom composition, which is maintained despite extensive gene flow. Unexpectedly, selection for diet does not explain venom variation, contrary to the dominant paradigm of venom evolution, and neither does neutral population structure caused by past vicariance. Instead, different toxin genes correlate with distinct environmental factors, suggesting that divergent selective pressures can act on individual loci independently of their genomic proximity or co-expression patterns. Local-scale spatial heterogeneity thus appears to maintain a remarkably ancient complex of molecular phenotypes, which have been retained in populations that diverged more than 1.5-2 MYA, representing an exceptional case of long-term structural polymorphism. These results emphasize how the interplay between genomic architecture and spatial heterogeneity in selective pressures may facilitate the retention of functional polymorphisms of an adaptive phenotype.
Giulia Zancolli; Juan J. Calvete; Michael D. Cardwell; Harry W. Greene; William K. Hayes; Matthew J. Hegarty; Hans-Werner Herrmann; Andrew T. Holycross; Dominic I. Lannutti; John F. Mulley; Libia Sanz; Zachary D. Travis; Joshua R. Whorley; Catharine E. Wüster; Wolfgang Wuster. When one phenotype is not enough – divergent evolutionary trajectories govern venom variation in a widespread rattlesnake species. 2018, 413831 .
AMA StyleGiulia Zancolli, Juan J. Calvete, Michael D. Cardwell, Harry W. Greene, William K. Hayes, Matthew J. Hegarty, Hans-Werner Herrmann, Andrew T. Holycross, Dominic I. Lannutti, John F. Mulley, Libia Sanz, Zachary D. Travis, Joshua R. Whorley, Catharine E. Wüster, Wolfgang Wuster. When one phenotype is not enough – divergent evolutionary trajectories govern venom variation in a widespread rattlesnake species. . 2018; ():413831.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGiulia Zancolli; Juan J. Calvete; Michael D. Cardwell; Harry W. Greene; William K. Hayes; Matthew J. Hegarty; Hans-Werner Herrmann; Andrew T. Holycross; Dominic I. Lannutti; John F. Mulley; Libia Sanz; Zachary D. Travis; Joshua R. Whorley; Catharine E. Wüster; Wolfgang Wuster. 2018. "When one phenotype is not enough – divergent evolutionary trajectories govern venom variation in a widespread rattlesnake species." , no. : 413831.
Facultative parthenogenesis (FP) is asexual reproduction in plant and animal species that would otherwise reproduce sexually. This process in vertebrates typically results from automictic development (likely terminal fusion) and is phylogenetically widespread. In squamate reptiles and chondrichthyan fishes, FP has been reported to occur in nature and can result in the production of reproductively viable offspring; suggesting that it is of ecological and evolutionary significance. However, terminal fusion automixis is believed to result in near genome-wide reductions in heterozygosity; thus, FP seems likely to affect key phenotypic characters, yet this remains almost completely unstudied. Snake venom is a complex phenotypic character primarily used to subjugate prey and is thus tightly linked to individual fitness. Surprisingly, the composition and function of venom produced by a parthenogenetic pitviper exhibits a high degree of similarity to that of its mother and conspecifics from the same population. Therefore, the apparent loss of allelic diversity caused by FP appears unlikely to have a significant impact on the prey-capturing ability of this snake. Accordingly, the pitviper offspring produced by FP retained complex phenotypic characteristics associated with fitness. This result reinforces the potential ecological and evolutionary importance of FP and questions our understanding of the inheritance of venom-associated genes.
J. J. Calvete; N. R. Casewell; U. Hernández-Guzmán; Sarai Quesada Bernat; Libia Sanz; D. R. Rokyta; D. Storey; L.-O. Albulescu; Wolfgang Wüster; C. F. Smith; G. W. Schuett; W. Booth. Venom Complexity in a Pitviper Produced by Facultative Parthenogenesis. Scientific Reports 2018, 8, 11539 .
AMA StyleJ. J. Calvete, N. R. Casewell, U. Hernández-Guzmán, Sarai Quesada Bernat, Libia Sanz, D. R. Rokyta, D. Storey, L.-O. Albulescu, Wolfgang Wüster, C. F. Smith, G. W. Schuett, W. Booth. Venom Complexity in a Pitviper Produced by Facultative Parthenogenesis. Scientific Reports. 2018; 8 (1):11539.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJ. J. Calvete; N. R. Casewell; U. Hernández-Guzmán; Sarai Quesada Bernat; Libia Sanz; D. R. Rokyta; D. Storey; L.-O. Albulescu; Wolfgang Wüster; C. F. Smith; G. W. Schuett; W. Booth. 2018. "Venom Complexity in a Pitviper Produced by Facultative Parthenogenesis." Scientific Reports 8, no. 1: 11539.
Cobras are among the most widely known venomous snakes, and yet their taxonomy remains incompletely understood, particularly in Africa. Here, we use a combination of mitochondrial and nuclear gene sequences and morphological data to diagnose species limits within the African forest cobra, Naja (Boulengerina) melanoleuca. Mitochondrial DNA sequences reveal deep divergences within this taxon. Congruent patterns of variation in mtDNA, nuclear genes and morphology support the recognition of five separate species, confirming the species status of N. subfulva and N. peroescobari, and revealing two previously unnamed West African species, which are described as new: Naja (Boulengerina) guineensis sp. nov. Broadley, Trape, Chirio, Ineich & Wüster, from the Upper Guinea forest of West Africa, and Naja (Boulengerina) savannula sp. nov. Broadley, Trape, Chirio & Wüster, a banded form from the savanna-forest mosaic of the Guinea and Sudanian savannas of West Africa. The discovery of cryptic diversity in this iconic group highlights our limited understanding of tropical African biodiversity, hindering our ability to conserve it effectively.
Wolfgang Wüster; Laurent Chirio; Jean-François Trape; Ivan Ineich; Kate Jackson; Eli Greenbaum; Cesar Barron; Chifundera Kusamba; Zoltán T. Nagy; Richard Storey; Cara Hall; Catharine E. Wüster; Axel Barlow; Donald G. Broadley. Integration of nuclear and mitochondrial gene sequences and morphology reveals unexpected diversity in the forest cobra (Naja melanoleuca) species complex in Central and West Africa (Serpentes: Elapidae). Zootaxa 2018, 4455, 68 -98.
AMA StyleWolfgang Wüster, Laurent Chirio, Jean-François Trape, Ivan Ineich, Kate Jackson, Eli Greenbaum, Cesar Barron, Chifundera Kusamba, Zoltán T. Nagy, Richard Storey, Cara Hall, Catharine E. Wüster, Axel Barlow, Donald G. Broadley. Integration of nuclear and mitochondrial gene sequences and morphology reveals unexpected diversity in the forest cobra (Naja melanoleuca) species complex in Central and West Africa (Serpentes: Elapidae). Zootaxa. 2018; 4455 (1):68-98.
Chicago/Turabian StyleWolfgang Wüster; Laurent Chirio; Jean-François Trape; Ivan Ineich; Kate Jackson; Eli Greenbaum; Cesar Barron; Chifundera Kusamba; Zoltán T. Nagy; Richard Storey; Cara Hall; Catharine E. Wüster; Axel Barlow; Donald G. Broadley. 2018. "Integration of nuclear and mitochondrial gene sequences and morphology reveals unexpected diversity in the forest cobra (Naja melanoleuca) species complex in Central and West Africa (Serpentes: Elapidae)." Zootaxa 4455, no. 1: 68-98.
Wolfgang Wüster. Why is snake venom composition so variable? Toxicon 2018, 149, 98 -99.
AMA StyleWolfgang Wüster. Why is snake venom composition so variable? Toxicon. 2018; 149 ():98-99.
Chicago/Turabian StyleWolfgang Wüster. 2018. "Why is snake venom composition so variable?" Toxicon 149, no. : 98-99.
(Current Biology 28, R654–R655; June 4, 2018)
Benjamin Michael Marshall; Nicholas R. Casewell; Miguel Vences; Frank Glaw; Franco Andreone; Andolalao Rakotoarison; Giulia Zancolli; Friederike Woog; Wolfgang Wüster. Widespread vulnerability of Malagasy predators to the toxins of an introduced toad. Current Biology 2018, 28, 2194 .
AMA StyleBenjamin Michael Marshall, Nicholas R. Casewell, Miguel Vences, Frank Glaw, Franco Andreone, Andolalao Rakotoarison, Giulia Zancolli, Friederike Woog, Wolfgang Wüster. Widespread vulnerability of Malagasy predators to the toxins of an introduced toad. Current Biology. 2018; 28 (13):2194.
Chicago/Turabian StyleBenjamin Michael Marshall; Nicholas R. Casewell; Miguel Vences; Frank Glaw; Franco Andreone; Andolalao Rakotoarison; Giulia Zancolli; Friederike Woog; Wolfgang Wüster. 2018. "Widespread vulnerability of Malagasy predators to the toxins of an introduced toad." Current Biology 28, no. 13: 2194.
Summary Invasive species are a key factor contributing to the global decline of biodiversity, and understanding the underlying mechanisms is crucial to mitigate detrimental effects [1]. One such mechanism is the introduction of invasive species with defensive strategies, such as novel toxins, that can disrupt native predator communities [2]. Disruption of such communities can produce trophic cascades, impacting a diverse array of taxa [2]. Madagascar, a globally significant biodiversity hotspot, has recently experienced the introduction of a toxic bufonid amphibian, the Asian common toad (Duttaphrynus melanostictus) [3]. Since its invasion, the toad population has expanded rapidly, making control efforts problematic and eradication extremely difficult [4]. Previous cases of bufonid introductions, such as the ongoing spread of the cane toad (Rhinella marina) in Australia, have resulted in the decimation of many indigenous species [2], prompting fears that Madagascar may be similarly impacted [4]. Here we show that these fears are warranted: we demonstrate that many Malagasy vertebrates are likely to be susceptible to the toxins of this invasive toad.
Benjamin Marshall; Nicholas Casewell; Miguel Vences; Frank Glaw; Franco Andreone; Andolalao Rakotoarison; Giulia Zancolli; Friederike Woog; Wolfgang Wüster. Widespread vulnerability of Malagasy predators to the toxins of an introduced toad. Current Biology 2018, 28, R654 -R655.
AMA StyleBenjamin Marshall, Nicholas Casewell, Miguel Vences, Frank Glaw, Franco Andreone, Andolalao Rakotoarison, Giulia Zancolli, Friederike Woog, Wolfgang Wüster. Widespread vulnerability of Malagasy predators to the toxins of an introduced toad. Current Biology. 2018; 28 (11):R654-R655.
Chicago/Turabian StyleBenjamin Marshall; Nicholas Casewell; Miguel Vences; Frank Glaw; Franco Andreone; Andolalao Rakotoarison; Giulia Zancolli; Friederike Woog; Wolfgang Wüster. 2018. "Widespread vulnerability of Malagasy predators to the toxins of an introduced toad." Current Biology 28, no. 11: R654-R655.
Scott A. Thomson; Richard L. Pyle; Shane T. Ahyong; Miguel Alonso-Zarazaga; Joe Ammirati; Juan Francisco Araya; John S. Ascher; Tracy Lynn Audisio; Valter M. Azevedo-Santos; Nicolas Bailly; William J. Baker; Michael Balke; Maxwell V. L. Barclay; Russell Barrett; Ricardo Benine; James R. M. Bickerstaff; Patrice Bouchard; Roger Bour; Thierry Bourgoin; Christopher B. Boyko; Abraham S. H. Breure; Denis Brothers; James W. Byng; David Campbell; Luis Ceríaco; István Cernák; Pierfilippo Cerretti; Chih-Han Chang; Soowon Cho; Joshua M. Copus; Mark J. Costello; Andras Cseh; Csaba Csuzdi; Alastair Culham; Guillermo D'Elía; Cédric D’Udekem D’Acoz; Mikhail E. Daneliya; René Dekker; Edward C. Dickinson; Timothy A. Dickinson; Peter Paul Van Dijk; Klaas-Douwe B. Dijkstra; Bálint Dima; Dmitry A. Dmitriev; Leni Duistermaat; John P. Dumbacher; Wolf L. Eiserhardt; Torbjørn Ekrem; Neal L. Evenhuis; Arnaud Faille; José L. Fernández-Triana; Emile Fiesler; Mark Fishbein; Barry Fordham; André V. L. Freitas; Natália R. Friol; Uwe Fritz; Tobias Guldberg Frøslev; Vicki A. Funk; Stephen Gaimari; Guilherme Garbino; André R. S. Garraffoni; József Geml; Anthony Gill; Alan Gray; Felipe Grazziotin; Penelope Greenslade; Eliécer Gutiérrez; Mark Harvey; Cornelis J. Hazevoet; Kai He; Xiaolan He; Stephan Helfer; Kristofer Helgen; Anneke H. Van Heteren; Francisco Hita Garcia; Norbert Holstein; Margit K. Horváth; Peter Hovenkamp; Wei Song Hwang; Jaakko Hyvönen; Melissa B. Islam; John B. Iverson; Michael A. Ivie; Zeehan Jaafar; Morgan D. Jackson; J. Pablo Jayat; Norman F. Johnson; Hinrich Kaiser; Bente B. Klitgård; Dániel G. Knapp; Jun-Ichi Kojima; Urmas Kõljalg; Jenő Kontschán; Frank-Thorsten Krell; Irmgard Krisai-Greilhuber; Sven Kullander; Leonardo Latella; John E. Lattke; Valeria Lencioni; Gwilym P. Lewis; Marcos Gonçalves Lhano; Nathan K. Lujan; Jolanda A. Luksenburg; Jean Mariaux; Jader Marinho-Filho; Christopher J. Marshall; Jason F. Mate; Molly M. McDonough; Ellinor Michel; Vitor F. O. Miranda; Mircea-Dan Mitroiu; Jesús Molinari; Scott Monks; Abigail J. Moore; Ricardo Moratelli; Dávid Murányi; Takafumi Nakano; Svetlana Nikolaeva; John Noyes; Michael Ohl; Nora H. Oleas; Thomas Orrell; Barna Páll-Gergely; Thomas Pape; Viktor Papp; Lynne R. Parenti; David Patterson; Igor Ya. Pavlinov; Ronald H. Pine; Péter Poczai; Jefferson Prado; Divakaran Prathapan; Richard K. Rabeler; John E. Randall; Frank E. Rheindt; Anders G. J. Rhodin; Sara M. Rodríguez; D. Christopher Rogers; Fabio De O. Roque; Kevin C. Rowe; Luis A. Ruedas; Jorge Salazar-Bravo; Rodrigo Brincalepe Salvador; George Sangster; Carlos E. Sarmiento; Dmitry Schigel; Stefan Schmidt; Frederick W. Schueler; Hendrik Segers; Neil Snow; Pedro G. B. Souza-Dias; Riaan Stals; Soili Stenroos; Robert Douglas Stone; Charles F. Sturm; Pavel Štys; Pablo Teta; Daniel C. Thomas; Robert M. Timm; Brian J. Tindall; Jonathan A. Todd; Dagmar Triebel; Antonio G Valdecasas; Alfredo Vizzini; Maria S. Vorontsova; Jurriaan M. de Vos; Philipp Wagner; Les Watling; Alan Weakley; Francisco Welter-Schultes; Daniel Whitmore; Nicholas Wilding; Kipling Will; Jason Williams; Karen Wilson; Judith E. Winston; Wolfgang Wüster; Douglas Yanega; David K. Yeates; Hussam Zaher; Guanyang Zhang; Zhi-Qiang Zhang; Hong-Zhang Zhou. Taxonomy based on science is necessary for global conservation. PLOS Biology 2018, 16, e2005075 .
AMA StyleScott A. Thomson, Richard L. Pyle, Shane T. Ahyong, Miguel Alonso-Zarazaga, Joe Ammirati, Juan Francisco Araya, John S. Ascher, Tracy Lynn Audisio, Valter M. Azevedo-Santos, Nicolas Bailly, William J. Baker, Michael Balke, Maxwell V. L. Barclay, Russell Barrett, Ricardo Benine, James R. M. Bickerstaff, Patrice Bouchard, Roger Bour, Thierry Bourgoin, Christopher B. Boyko, Abraham S. H. Breure, Denis Brothers, James W. Byng, David Campbell, Luis Ceríaco, István Cernák, Pierfilippo Cerretti, Chih-Han Chang, Soowon Cho, Joshua M. Copus, Mark J. Costello, Andras Cseh, Csaba Csuzdi, Alastair Culham, Guillermo D'Elía, Cédric D’Udekem D’Acoz, Mikhail E. Daneliya, René Dekker, Edward C. Dickinson, Timothy A. Dickinson, Peter Paul Van Dijk, Klaas-Douwe B. Dijkstra, Bálint Dima, Dmitry A. Dmitriev, Leni Duistermaat, John P. Dumbacher, Wolf L. Eiserhardt, Torbjørn Ekrem, Neal L. Evenhuis, Arnaud Faille, José L. Fernández-Triana, Emile Fiesler, Mark Fishbein, Barry Fordham, André V. L. Freitas, Natália R. Friol, Uwe Fritz, Tobias Guldberg Frøslev, Vicki A. Funk, Stephen Gaimari, Guilherme Garbino, André R. S. Garraffoni, József Geml, Anthony Gill, Alan Gray, Felipe Grazziotin, Penelope Greenslade, Eliécer Gutiérrez, Mark Harvey, Cornelis J. Hazevoet, Kai He, Xiaolan He, Stephan Helfer, Kristofer Helgen, Anneke H. Van Heteren, Francisco Hita Garcia, Norbert Holstein, Margit K. Horváth, Peter Hovenkamp, Wei Song Hwang, Jaakko Hyvönen, Melissa B. Islam, John B. Iverson, Michael A. Ivie, Zeehan Jaafar, Morgan D. Jackson, J. Pablo Jayat, Norman F. Johnson, Hinrich Kaiser, Bente B. Klitgård, Dániel G. Knapp, Jun-Ichi Kojima, Urmas Kõljalg, Jenő Kontschán, Frank-Thorsten Krell, Irmgard Krisai-Greilhuber, Sven Kullander, Leonardo Latella, John E. Lattke, Valeria Lencioni, Gwilym P. Lewis, Marcos Gonçalves Lhano, Nathan K. Lujan, Jolanda A. Luksenburg, Jean Mariaux, Jader Marinho-Filho, Christopher J. Marshall, Jason F. Mate, Molly M. McDonough, Ellinor Michel, Vitor F. O. Miranda, Mircea-Dan Mitroiu, Jesús Molinari, Scott Monks, Abigail J. Moore, Ricardo Moratelli, Dávid Murányi, Takafumi Nakano, Svetlana Nikolaeva, John Noyes, Michael Ohl, Nora H. Oleas, Thomas Orrell, Barna Páll-Gergely, Thomas Pape, Viktor Papp, Lynne R. Parenti, David Patterson, Igor Ya. Pavlinov, Ronald H. Pine, Péter Poczai, Jefferson Prado, Divakaran Prathapan, Richard K. Rabeler, John E. Randall, Frank E. Rheindt, Anders G. J. Rhodin, Sara M. Rodríguez, D. Christopher Rogers, Fabio De O. Roque, Kevin C. Rowe, Luis A. Ruedas, Jorge Salazar-Bravo, Rodrigo Brincalepe Salvador, George Sangster, Carlos E. Sarmiento, Dmitry Schigel, Stefan Schmidt, Frederick W. Schueler, Hendrik Segers, Neil Snow, Pedro G. B. Souza-Dias, Riaan Stals, Soili Stenroos, Robert Douglas Stone, Charles F. Sturm, Pavel Štys, Pablo Teta, Daniel C. Thomas, Robert M. Timm, Brian J. Tindall, Jonathan A. Todd, Dagmar Triebel, Antonio G Valdecasas, Alfredo Vizzini, Maria S. Vorontsova, Jurriaan M. de Vos, Philipp Wagner, Les Watling, Alan Weakley, Francisco Welter-Schultes, Daniel Whitmore, Nicholas Wilding, Kipling Will, Jason Williams, Karen Wilson, Judith E. Winston, Wolfgang Wüster, Douglas Yanega, David K. Yeates, Hussam Zaher, Guanyang Zhang, Zhi-Qiang Zhang, Hong-Zhang Zhou. Taxonomy based on science is necessary for global conservation. PLOS Biology. 2018; 16 (3):e2005075.
Chicago/Turabian StyleScott A. Thomson; Richard L. Pyle; Shane T. Ahyong; Miguel Alonso-Zarazaga; Joe Ammirati; Juan Francisco Araya; John S. Ascher; Tracy Lynn Audisio; Valter M. Azevedo-Santos; Nicolas Bailly; William J. Baker; Michael Balke; Maxwell V. L. Barclay; Russell Barrett; Ricardo Benine; James R. M. Bickerstaff; Patrice Bouchard; Roger Bour; Thierry Bourgoin; Christopher B. Boyko; Abraham S. H. Breure; Denis Brothers; James W. Byng; David Campbell; Luis Ceríaco; István Cernák; Pierfilippo Cerretti; Chih-Han Chang; Soowon Cho; Joshua M. Copus; Mark J. Costello; Andras Cseh; Csaba Csuzdi; Alastair Culham; Guillermo D'Elía; Cédric D’Udekem D’Acoz; Mikhail E. Daneliya; René Dekker; Edward C. Dickinson; Timothy A. Dickinson; Peter Paul Van Dijk; Klaas-Douwe B. Dijkstra; Bálint Dima; Dmitry A. Dmitriev; Leni Duistermaat; John P. Dumbacher; Wolf L. Eiserhardt; Torbjørn Ekrem; Neal L. Evenhuis; Arnaud Faille; José L. Fernández-Triana; Emile Fiesler; Mark Fishbein; Barry Fordham; André V. L. Freitas; Natália R. Friol; Uwe Fritz; Tobias Guldberg Frøslev; Vicki A. Funk; Stephen Gaimari; Guilherme Garbino; André R. S. Garraffoni; József Geml; Anthony Gill; Alan Gray; Felipe Grazziotin; Penelope Greenslade; Eliécer Gutiérrez; Mark Harvey; Cornelis J. Hazevoet; Kai He; Xiaolan He; Stephan Helfer; Kristofer Helgen; Anneke H. Van Heteren; Francisco Hita Garcia; Norbert Holstein; Margit K. Horváth; Peter Hovenkamp; Wei Song Hwang; Jaakko Hyvönen; Melissa B. Islam; John B. Iverson; Michael A. Ivie; Zeehan Jaafar; Morgan D. Jackson; J. Pablo Jayat; Norman F. Johnson; Hinrich Kaiser; Bente B. Klitgård; Dániel G. Knapp; Jun-Ichi Kojima; Urmas Kõljalg; Jenő Kontschán; Frank-Thorsten Krell; Irmgard Krisai-Greilhuber; Sven Kullander; Leonardo Latella; John E. Lattke; Valeria Lencioni; Gwilym P. Lewis; Marcos Gonçalves Lhano; Nathan K. Lujan; Jolanda A. Luksenburg; Jean Mariaux; Jader Marinho-Filho; Christopher J. Marshall; Jason F. Mate; Molly M. McDonough; Ellinor Michel; Vitor F. O. Miranda; Mircea-Dan Mitroiu; Jesús Molinari; Scott Monks; Abigail J. Moore; Ricardo Moratelli; Dávid Murányi; Takafumi Nakano; Svetlana Nikolaeva; John Noyes; Michael Ohl; Nora H. Oleas; Thomas Orrell; Barna Páll-Gergely; Thomas Pape; Viktor Papp; Lynne R. Parenti; David Patterson; Igor Ya. Pavlinov; Ronald H. Pine; Péter Poczai; Jefferson Prado; Divakaran Prathapan; Richard K. Rabeler; John E. Randall; Frank E. Rheindt; Anders G. J. Rhodin; Sara M. Rodríguez; D. Christopher Rogers; Fabio De O. Roque; Kevin C. Rowe; Luis A. Ruedas; Jorge Salazar-Bravo; Rodrigo Brincalepe Salvador; George Sangster; Carlos E. Sarmiento; Dmitry Schigel; Stefan Schmidt; Frederick W. Schueler; Hendrik Segers; Neil Snow; Pedro G. B. Souza-Dias; Riaan Stals; Soili Stenroos; Robert Douglas Stone; Charles F. Sturm; Pavel Štys; Pablo Teta; Daniel C. Thomas; Robert M. Timm; Brian J. Tindall; Jonathan A. Todd; Dagmar Triebel; Antonio G Valdecasas; Alfredo Vizzini; Maria S. Vorontsova; Jurriaan M. de Vos; Philipp Wagner; Les Watling; Alan Weakley; Francisco Welter-Schultes; Daniel Whitmore; Nicholas Wilding; Kipling Will; Jason Williams; Karen Wilson; Judith E. Winston; Wolfgang Wüster; Douglas Yanega; David K. Yeates; Hussam Zaher; Guanyang Zhang; Zhi-Qiang Zhang; Hong-Zhang Zhou. 2018. "Taxonomy based on science is necessary for global conservation." PLOS Biology 16, no. 3: e2005075.
Mambas (genus Dendroaspis) are among the most feared of the medically important elapid snakes found in sub-Saharan Africa, but many facets of their biology, including the diversity of venom composition, remain relatively understudied. Here, we present a reconstruction of mamba phylogeny, alongside genus-wide venom gland transcriptomic and high-resolution top-down venomic analyses. Whereas the green mambas, D. viridis, D. angusticeps, D. j. jamesoni and D. j. kaimosae, express 3FTx-predominant venoms, black mamba (D. polylepis) venom is dominated by dendrotoxins I and K. The divergent terrestrial ecology of D. polylepis compared to the arboreal niche occupied by all other mambas makes it plausible that this major difference in venom composition is due to dietary variation. The pattern of intrageneric venom variability across Dendroaspis represented a valuable opportunity to investigate, in a genus-wide context, the variant toxicity of the venom, and the degree of paraspecific cross-reactivity between antivenoms and mamba venoms. To this end, the immunological profiles of the five mamba venoms were assessed against a panel of commercial antivenoms generated for the sub-Saharan Africa market. This study provides a genus-wide overview of which available antivenoms may be more efficacious in neutralising human envenomings caused by mambas, irrespective of the species responsible. The information gathered in this study lays the foundations for rationalising the notably different potency and pharmacological profiles of Dendroaspis venoms at locus resolution. This understanding will allow selection and design of toxin immunogens with a view to generating a safer and more efficacious pan-specific antivenom against any mamba envenomation.The mambas (genus Dendroaspis) comprise five especially notorious medically important venomous snakes endemic to sub-Saharan Africa. Their highly potent venoms comprise a high diversity of pharmacologically active peptides, including extremely rapid-acting neurotoxins. Previous studies on mamba venoms have focused on the biochemical and pharmacological characterisation of their most relevant toxins to rationalize the common neurological and neuromuscular symptoms of envenomings caused by these species, but there has been little work on overall venom composition or comparisons between them. Only very recently an overview of the composition of the venom of two Dendroaspis species, D. angusticeps and D. polylepis, has been unveiled through venomics approaches. Here we present the first genus-wide transcriptomic-proteomic analysis of mamba venom composition. The transcriptomic analyses described in this paper have contributed 29 (D. polylepis), 23 (D. angusticeps), 40 (D. viridis), 25 (D. j. jamesoni) and 21 (D. j. kaimosae), novel full-length toxin sequences to the non-redundant Dendroaspis sequence database. The mamba genus-wide venomic analysis demonstrated that major D. polylepis venom components are Kunitz-fold family toxins. This feature is unique in relation to the relatively conserved three-finger toxin (3FTx)-dominated venom compositions of the green mambas. Venom variation was interpreted in the context of dietary variation due to the divergent terrestrial ecology of D. polylepis compared to the arboreal niche occupied by all other mambas. Additionally, the degree of cross-reactivity conservation of mamba venoms was assessed by antivenomics against a panel of commercial antivenoms generated for the sub-Saharan Africa market. This study provides a genus-wide overview to infer which available antivenoms may be capable of neutralising human envenomings caused by mambas, irrespective of the species responsible. The information gathered in this study lays the foundations for rationalising the pharmacological profiles of mamba venoms at locus resolution. This understanding will contribute to the generation of a safer and more efficacious pan-Dendroaspis therapeutic antivenom against any mamba envenomation.
Stuart Ainsworth; Daniel Petras; Mikael Engmark; Roderich Süssmuth; Gareth Whiteley; Laura-Oana Albulescu; Taline D. Kazandjian; Simon Wagstaff; Paul Rowley; Wolfgang Wüster; Pieter C. Dorrestein; Ana Silvia Arias; José M. Gutiérrez; Robert A. Harrison; Nicholas R. Casewell; Juan J. Calvete. The medical threat of mamba envenoming in sub-Saharan Africa revealed by genus-wide analysis of venom composition, toxicity and antivenomics profiling of available antivenoms. Journal of Proteomics 2018, 172, 173 -189.
AMA StyleStuart Ainsworth, Daniel Petras, Mikael Engmark, Roderich Süssmuth, Gareth Whiteley, Laura-Oana Albulescu, Taline D. Kazandjian, Simon Wagstaff, Paul Rowley, Wolfgang Wüster, Pieter C. Dorrestein, Ana Silvia Arias, José M. Gutiérrez, Robert A. Harrison, Nicholas R. Casewell, Juan J. Calvete. The medical threat of mamba envenoming in sub-Saharan Africa revealed by genus-wide analysis of venom composition, toxicity and antivenomics profiling of available antivenoms. Journal of Proteomics. 2018; 172 ():173-189.
Chicago/Turabian StyleStuart Ainsworth; Daniel Petras; Mikael Engmark; Roderich Süssmuth; Gareth Whiteley; Laura-Oana Albulescu; Taline D. Kazandjian; Simon Wagstaff; Paul Rowley; Wolfgang Wüster; Pieter C. Dorrestein; Ana Silvia Arias; José M. Gutiérrez; Robert A. Harrison; Nicholas R. Casewell; Juan J. Calvete. 2018. "The medical threat of mamba envenoming in sub-Saharan Africa revealed by genus-wide analysis of venom composition, toxicity and antivenomics profiling of available antivenoms." Journal of Proteomics 172, no. : 173-189.
The uplift and final connection of the Central American land bridge is considered the major event that allowed biotic exchange between vertebrate lineages of northern and southern origin in the New World. However, given the complex tectonics that shaped Middle America, there is still substantial controversy over details of this geographical reconnection, and its role in determining biogeographic patterns in the region. Here, we examine the phylogeography of Bothrops asper, a widely distributed pitviper in Middle America and northwestern South America, in an attempt to evaluate how the final Isthmian uplift and other biogeographical boundaries in the region influenced genealogical lineage divergence in this species. We examined sequence data from two mitochondrial genes (MT-CYB and MT-ND4) from 111 specimens of B. asper, representing 70 localities throughout the species’ distribution. We reconstructed phylogeographic patterns using maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods and estimated divergence time using the Bayesian relaxed clock method. Within the nominal species, an early split led to two divergent lineages of B. asper: one includes five phylogroups distributed in Caribbean Middle America and southwestern Ecuador, and the other comprises five other groups scattered in the Pacific slope of Isthmian Central America and northwestern South America. Our results provide evidence of a complex transition that involves at least two dispersal events into Middle America during the final closure of the Isthmus.
Monica Saldarriaga-Córdoba; Christopher L. Parkinson; Juan M. Daza; Wolfgang Wüster; Mahmood Sasa. Phylogeography of the Central American lancehead Bothrops asper (SERPENTES: VIPERIDAE). PLOS ONE 2017, 12, e0187969 .
AMA StyleMonica Saldarriaga-Córdoba, Christopher L. Parkinson, Juan M. Daza, Wolfgang Wüster, Mahmood Sasa. Phylogeography of the Central American lancehead Bothrops asper (SERPENTES: VIPERIDAE). PLOS ONE. 2017; 12 (11):e0187969.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMonica Saldarriaga-Córdoba; Christopher L. Parkinson; Juan M. Daza; Wolfgang Wüster; Mahmood Sasa. 2017. "Phylogeography of the Central American lancehead Bothrops asper (SERPENTES: VIPERIDAE)." PLOS ONE 12, no. 11: e0187969.
Saw-scaled vipers (genus Echis) are one of the leading causes of snakebite morbidity and mortality in parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and vast regions of Asia, constituting a public health burden exceeding that of almost any other snake genus globally. Venom-induced consumption coagulopathy, owing to the action of potent procoagulant toxins, is one of the most relevant clinical manifestations of envenomings by Echis spp. Clinical experience and prior studies examining a limited range of venoms and restricted antivenoms have demonstrated for some antivenoms an extreme lack of antivenom cross-reactivity between different species of this genus, sometimes resulting in catastrophic treatment failure. This study undertook the most comprehensive testing of Echis venom effects upon the coagulation of human plasma, and also the broadest examination of antivenom potency and cross-reactivity, to-date. 10 Echis species/populations and four antivenoms (two African, two Asian) were studied. The results indicate that the venoms are, in general, potently procoagulant but that the relative dependence on calcium or phospholipid cofactors is highly variable. Additionally, three out of the four antivenoms tested demonstrated only a very narrow taxonomic range of effectiveness in preventing coagulopathy, with only the SAIMR antivenom displaying significant levels of cross-reactivity. These results were in conflict with previous studies using prolonged preincubation of antivenom with venom to suggest effective cross-reactivity levels for the ICP Echi-Tab antivenom. These findings both inform upon potential clinical effects of envenomation in humans and highlight the extreme limitations of available treatment. It is hoped that this will spur efforts into the development of antivenoms with more comprehensive coverage for bites not only from wild snakes but also from specimens widely kept in zoological collections.
Aymeric Rogalski; Christoffer Soerensen; Bianca Op Den Brouw; Callum Lister; Daniel Dashevsky; Kevin Arbuckle; Alexandra Gloria; Christina N. Zdenek; Nicholas Casewell; José María Gutiérrez; Wolfgang Wüster; Syed A. Ali; Paul Masci; Paul Rowley; Nathaniel Frank; Bryan G. Fry. Differential procoagulant effects of saw-scaled viper (Serpentes: Viperidae: Echis) snake venoms on human plasma and the narrow taxonomic ranges of antivenom efficacies. Toxicology Letters 2017, 280, 159 -170.
AMA StyleAymeric Rogalski, Christoffer Soerensen, Bianca Op Den Brouw, Callum Lister, Daniel Dashevsky, Kevin Arbuckle, Alexandra Gloria, Christina N. Zdenek, Nicholas Casewell, José María Gutiérrez, Wolfgang Wüster, Syed A. Ali, Paul Masci, Paul Rowley, Nathaniel Frank, Bryan G. Fry. Differential procoagulant effects of saw-scaled viper (Serpentes: Viperidae: Echis) snake venoms on human plasma and the narrow taxonomic ranges of antivenom efficacies. Toxicology Letters. 2017; 280 ():159-170.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAymeric Rogalski; Christoffer Soerensen; Bianca Op Den Brouw; Callum Lister; Daniel Dashevsky; Kevin Arbuckle; Alexandra Gloria; Christina N. Zdenek; Nicholas Casewell; José María Gutiérrez; Wolfgang Wüster; Syed A. Ali; Paul Masci; Paul Rowley; Nathaniel Frank; Bryan G. Fry. 2017. "Differential procoagulant effects of saw-scaled viper (Serpentes: Viperidae: Echis) snake venoms on human plasma and the narrow taxonomic ranges of antivenom efficacies." Toxicology Letters 280, no. : 159-170.