The study provides an insight into the biology of the venom in snakes, and allows the understanding of the evolution of venom genes at the genome structural level. (sciencedaily.com)
From such studies came the current canonical model of how venom genes evolve through the chance replication and mutation of genes for enzymes, peptides and other proteins. (scientificamerican.com)
In the new study, Dr. Yehu Moran at the Hebrew University's Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior and the guest scientist Dr. Kartik Sunagar examined numerous venom genes in different animals in order to unravel the unique evolutionary strategies of toxin gene families. (sciencedaily.com)