Transcriptomic Insights Into the Evolution of Snake Venom: Mechanisms, Diversity, and Adaptation

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  Transcriptomic Insights Into the Evolution of Snake Venom: Mechanisms, Diversity, and Adaptation Abstract Snake venoms are evolutionarily refined biochemical arsenals composed of diverse toxins with complex functional roles in predation, defense, and competition. Over the past 2 decades, transcriptomic approaches have transformed venom research by enabling high-resolution insights into gene expression dynamics, molecular diversity, and the evolutionary mechanisms driving venom variation across lineages. In this review, we present a comprehensive synthesis of snake venom transcriptomics literature and propose a conceptual framework structured around three major axes: (1) gene family expansion through duplication and neofunctionalization; (2) regulatory complexity encompassing transcriptional, posttranscriptional, and epigenetic modulation; and (3) ecological selection pressures shaping venom profiles in response to diet, habitat, and interspecific interactions. We integrate findin...

More Than 200 Years Later: Gluvia brunnea sp. nov. (Solifugae, Daesiidae), a Second Species of Camel Spider from the Iberian Peninsula

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More Than 200 Years Later: Gluvia brunnea sp. nov. (Solifugae, Daesiidae), a Second Species of Camel Spider from the Iberian Peninsula

Abstract

We present the description of a new species of Solifugae from the Iberian Peninsula, Gluvia brunnea sp. nov., which has been found so far in southeast Spain. The morphological description is accompanied by molecular and multiple factor analyses, jointly giving full support to the specific status of the taxon. Finally, we discuss the intraspecific variability of both species, G. dorsalis and G. brunnea sp. nov., and the recent history of the genus. We also discuss the usefulness of multiple factor analysis for quantitatively separating species, and we stress that some specimens of this new species were found in Mesovoid Shallow Substratum stations, representing the very first time that Solifugae have been captured in this type of trap.


Pertegal, Cristian, Pablo Barranco, Eva De Mas, and Jordi Moya-Laraño. 2024. "More Than 200 Years Later: Gluvia brunnea sp. nov. (Solifugae, Daesiidae), a Second Species of Camel Spider from the Iberian Peninsula" Insects 15, no. 4: 284. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15040284