The rise and diversification of spidroins in the deep-time evolution of spiders

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  The rise and diversification of spidroins in the deep-time evolution of spiders Summary The evolutionary success of spiders is often attributed to their stunning ability to produce and utilize silk, but the potential link between the molecular and phenotypic basis of silk production and spider diversification is seldom tested in a robust dated phylogenetic framework. Here, we provide a macroevolutionary context for testing hypotheses by reconstructing and dating the spider tree of life using genomic and transcriptomic data. We searched exhaustively for members of the spider silk protein (spidroin) gene family from omics data and identified them in an iterative phylogenetic pipeline. Four distinct new types of spidroins with atypical sequence characteristics are discovered to be widespread in true spiders with the potential to affect silk properties, as inferred by our phylogenetic generalized linear mixed model and phylogenetic generalized least squares analyses. Combining our ro...

Brief history of ophidiology and ophidism in Colombia

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Brief history of ophidiology and ophidism in Colombia 

Abstract

This review traces the historical trajectory of ophidiology (the study of snakes) and ophidism (snakebite envenoming) within the Colombian context. Despite the profound cultural and scientific significance of the human–serpent relationship in the region, the relevant literature remains fragmented, with foundational historical works neither digitized nor readily accessible. To address this, we conducted a narrative review of primary sources spanning from the pre-Colombian era to the present. Our methodology involved sourcing material from specialized libraries, historical archives, personal collections and contemporary scientific databases. The analysis identifies and contextualizes pivotal contributions across distinct historical periods, from early archeological evidence and colonial accounts to foundational eighteenth-century works and the formalized scientific studies of the last two centuries. The review culminates by highlighting how modern Colombian research, including significant international collaborations, is now producing influential work on snake biology, venoms and envenoming that commands global attention.

Carlos A Cañas, Santiago Castaño-Valencia, Fernando Castro-Herrera, Brief history of ophidiology and ophidism in Colombia, Transactions of The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 2026;, trag051, https://doi.org/10.1093/trstmh/trag051