Phylogenetically diverse diets favor more complex venoms in North American pitvipers

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2015579118
• Publication Date: 2021-04-19T20:46:54Z
• Authors: Matthew L. Holding; Jason L. Strickland; Rhett M. Rautsaw; Erich P. Hofmann; Andrew J. Mason; Michael P. Hogan; Gunnar S. Nystrom; Schyler A. Ellsworth; Timothy J. Colston; Miguel Borja; Gamaliel Castañed...; Christoph I. Grün...; Jason M. Jones; Luciana A. Freita...; Vincent Louis Viala; Mark J. Margres; Erika Hingst-Zaher; Inácio L. M. Junq...; Ana M. Moura-da-S...; Felipe G. Grazziotin; H. Lisle Gibbs; Darin R. Rokyta; Christopher L. Pa...
• Keywords: Proteomics; 0301 basic medicine; Adaptation, Biological; Gene Expression; Diet; 03 medical and health sciences; Predatory Behavior; North America; Animals; Selection, Genetic; Transcriptome; Crotalinae; Tooth; Phylogeny; Snake Venoms

SignificanceWhy biological complexity evolves is a major question in the life sciences, but the specific selection pressures favoring simple or complex traits remain unclear. Using high-resolution measurements of venom complexity in North American pitvipers, we link changes in complexity to natural history via phylogenetic diversity of snake diets. The results indicate that venom complexity evolves in response to phylogenetic diversity in a community of species, likely reflecting divergence in the physiological targets of venom. The nature of a species community, rather than their richness alone, is an important feature in the evolution of complex traits.