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...

The scorpions of the Estación de Biología Chamela, Jalisco, Mexico with the description of a new species of Mesomexovis (Scorpiones, Vaejovidae) and an identification key

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The scorpions of the Estación de Biología Chamela, Jalisco, Mexico with the description of a new species of Mesomexovis (Scorpiones, Vaejovidae) and an identification key

Abstract

Mesomexovis Gonzalez-Santillan & Prendini, 2013 is a scorpion genus of the Vaejovidae family that comprises seven species, all endemic to Mexico. The present study describes a new species from Estación de Biología Chamela, Jalisco, related to M. occidentalis (Hoffmann, 1931), M. atenango (Francke & Gonzalez-Santillan, 2006), and M. subcristatus (Pocock, 1898). Mesomexovis caxcan sp. nov. differs from these species in several respects. Firstly, the carinae of the pedipalp chelae are vestigial. Secondly, the ventral lateral carinae of metasomal segments I–IV are granular, and the ventral submedian carinae of segments I–IV are costate to granular. A microstructural separation between the subex and the basal carina of the capsular area of the hemispermatophore is described for the first time. Mesomexovis caxcan sp. nov. represents the eighth species of the genus and the fifth reported in the Estación de Biología Chamela. The other scorpions identified in this location are Centruroides chamela Ponce-Saavedra & Francke, 2011, C. elegans (Thorell, 1876) (Buthidae), Konetontli chamelaensis (Williams, 1986), and Thorellius intrepidus (Thorell, 1876) (Vaejovidae).

de Araujo Lira AF, González-Santillán E (2025) The scorpions of the Estación de Biología Chamela, Jalisco, Mexico with the description of a new species of Mesomexovis (Scorpiones, Vaejovidae) and an identification key. ZooKeys 1243: 241-267. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1243.146978