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  • Title: Where the "ruber" Meets the Road: Using the Genome of the Red Diamond Rattlesnake to Unravel the Evolutionary Processes Driving Venom Evolution.
    Author: Hirst SR, Rautsaw RM, VanHorn CM, Beer MA, McDonald PJ, Rosales García RA, Rodriguez Lopez B, Rubio Rincón A, Franz Chávez H, Vásquez-Cruz V, Kelly Hernández A, Storfer A, Borja M, Castañeda-Gaytán G, Frandsen PB, Parkinson CL, Strickland JL, Margres MJ.
    Journal: Genome Biol Evol; 2024 Sep 03; 16(9):. PubMed ID: 39255072.
    Abstract:
    Understanding the proximate and ultimate causes of phenotypic variation is fundamental in evolutionary research, as such variation provides the substrate for selection to act upon. Although trait variation can arise due to selection, the importance of neutral processes is sometimes understudied. We presented the first reference-quality genome of the Red Diamond Rattlesnake (Crotalus ruber) and used range-wide 'omic data to estimate the degree to which neutral and adaptive evolutionary processes shaped venom evolution. We characterized population structure and found substantial genetic differentiation across two populations, each with distinct demographic histories. We identified significant differentiation in venom expression across age classes with substantially reduced but discernible differentiation across populations. We then used conditional redundancy analysis to test whether venom expression variation was best predicted by neutral divergence patterns or geographically variable (a)biotic factors. Snake size was the most significant predictor of venom variation, with environment, prey availability, and neutral sequence variation also identified as significant factors, though to a lesser degree. By directly including neutrality in the model, our results confidently highlight the predominant, yet not singular, role of life history in shaping venom evolution.
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