Dataset Information

Evolutionary history of burrowing asps (Lamprophiidae: Atractaspidinae) with emphasis on fang evolution and prey selection.

ABSTRACT: Atractaspidines are poorly studied, fossorial snakes that are found throughout Africa and western Asia, including the Middle East. We employed concatenated gene-tree analyses and divergence dating approaches to investigate evolutionary relationships and biogeographic patterns of atractaspidines with a multi-locus data set consisting of three mitochondrial (16S, cyt b, and ND4) and two nuclear genes (c-mos and RAG1). We sampled 91 individuals from both atractaspidine genera (Atractaspis and Homoroselaps). Additionally, we used ancestral-state reconstructions to investigate fang and diet evolution within Atractaspidinae and its sister lineage (Aparallactinae). Our results indicated that current classification of atractaspidines underestimates diversity within the group. Diversification occurred predominantly between the Miocene and Pliocene. Ancestral-state reconstructions suggest that snake dentition in these taxa might be highly plastic within relatively short periods of time to facilitate adaptations to dynamic foraging and life-history strategies.

SUBMITTER: Portillo F

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6469773 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Evolutionary history of burrowing asps (Lamprophiidae: Atractaspidinae) with emphasis on fang evolution and prey selection.

Portillo Frank F Stanley Edward L EL Branch William R WR Conradie Werner W Rödel Mark-Oliver MO Penner Johannes J Barej Michael F MF Kusamba Chifundera C Muninga Wandege M WM Aristote Mwenebatu M MM Bauer Aaron M AM Trape Jean-François JF Nagy Zoltán T ZT Carlino Piero P Pauwels Olivier S G OSG Menegon Michele M Ineich Ivan I Burger Marius M Zassi-Boulou Ange-Ghislain AG Mazuch Tomáš T Jackson Kate K Hughes Daniel F DF Behangana Mathias M Greenbaum Eli E

PloS one 20190417 4

Atractaspidines are poorly studied, fossorial snakes that are found throughout Africa and western Asia, including the Middle East. We employed concatenated gene-tree analyses and divergence dating approaches to investigate evolutionary relationships and biogeographic patterns of atractaspidines with a multi-locus data set consisting of three mitochondrial (16S, cyt b, and ND4) and two nuclear genes (c-mos and RAG1). We sampled 91 individuals from both atractaspidine genera (Atractaspis and Homor ...[more]

PMID: 30995262

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Dataset Information

Evolutionary history of burrowing asps (Lamprophiidae: Atractaspidinae) with emphasis on fang evolution and prey selection.

Publications

Evolutionary history of burrowing asps (Lamprophiidae: Atractaspidinae) with emphasis on fang evolution and prey selection.

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