Beyond Venom and Constriction: Bite Performance and Trophic Ecology in the Genus Drymarchon

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  Beyond Venom and Constriction: Bite Performance and Trophic Ecology in the Genus Drymarchon Abstract Snakes exhibit extreme cranial kinesis that facilitates ingestion of prey with large cross-sectional area, but this ability is widely predicted to reduce bite performance due to decreased structural rigidity. Consequently, most large-bodied snakes rely on envenomation or constriction to subdue prey prior to ingestion. Species within the genus Drymarchon represent a notable exception: these large, non-venomous, non-constricting snakes routinely consume a wide range of prey, including large and potentially dangerous vertebrates, using only simple seizing and pinioning behaviors. Here, we quantify bite performance in three species of Drymarchon ( D. corais, D. couperi, and D. melanurus ), examine morphological predictors of biting performance, compare biting pressure to constriction pressure in similarly sized snakes, and synthesize dietary records across the genus. Our results sh...

Deep Phylogenomic Structure and Microendemism in Baja California Ammotrechidae (Arachnida: Solifugae) Support a Model of Distributed Diversification

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Deep Phylogenomic Structure and Microendemism in Baja California Ammotrechidae (Arachnida: Solifugae) Support a Model of Distributed Diversification

ABSTRACT

Aim

To assess phylogeographic structure, phylogenetic diversity and historical diversification processes in ammotrechid camel spiders from the Baja California Peninsula.

Location

Baja California Sur, Mexico.

Time Period

Miocene to Pleistocene.

Major Taxa Studied

Ammotrechid camel spiders (Solifugae: Ammotrechidae).

Methods

We conducted the first phylogeographic analysis of Baja California Sur ammotrechid camel spiders using mitochondrial COI sequences and genome-wide RADseq data. Phylogenomic analyses, divergence dating, species accumulation curves and tests of admixture (F3 statistics) were used to evaluate lineage structure, timing of diversification and patterns of connectivity.

Results

We uncovered deep phylogenomic structure and extensive cryptic diversity, identifying at least 16 putative lineages, many restricted to single localities. Divergence dating indicates Miocene origins with subsequent Plio–Pleistocene diversification. Although several lineages exhibit north–south structure, divergence times and spatial patterns do not support diversification driven by discrete transpeninsular seaway vicariance at major southern breaks (e.g., La Paz/Loreto). Instead, patterns support a model of distributed diversification shaped by tectonic segmentation, habitat heterogeneity, and climatic oscillation. Limited admixture among a subset of closely related lineages, suggested by incongruent tree topologies and F3 statistics, indicates episodic secondary contact rather than long-term connectivity. Species accumulation curves did not approach an asymptote, suggesting that much of the region's solifuge diversity remains undocumented.

Main Conclusions

Ammotrechid camel spiders preserve fine-scale genomic signatures of landscape history in Baja California Sur and reveal previously undocumented levels of endemism and diversification. These results highlight Solifugae as promising but underused systems for geogenomic studies of desert biogeography.


Graham, M. R., Santibáñez-López, C. E., Jones, R. R., Idjadi, J. A., Acosta, A. M., Ceccarelli, F. S., Castillo, J. R., Batista-Perales, D. L., Brookhart, J. O., & Cushing, P. E. (2026). Deep Phylogenomic Structure and Microendemism in Baja California Ammotrechidae (Arachnida: Solifugae) Support a Model of Distributed Diversification. Journal of Biogeography, 53(8), e70348. https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.70348