Teleost fishes are the most diverse group of vertebrates on Earth. On tropical coral reefs,
their species richness exceeds 6000 species; one tenth of total vertebrate biodiversity. A …

Of the five families of snakes that contain species capable of envenoming humans, the
Elapidae and Viperidae are by far the most important from the medical point of view …

Introduction: Animal venoms are complex chemical arsenals. Most venoms are rich in
bioactive peptides with proven potential as research tools, drug leads and drugs. Areas …

Research on venomous animals has mainly focused on the molecular, biochemical, and
pharmacological aspects of venom toxins. However, it is the relatively neglected broader …

We report on the discovery of a remarkable defensive specialization in stonefishes that was
identified during a phylogenetic study of scorpionfishes and their relatives. This newly …

How and why animals and humans signal reliably is a key issue in biology and social
sciences that needs to be understood to explain the evolution of communication. In …

Animals have evolved an array of spectacular weapons, including antlers, forceps,
proboscises, stingers, tusks and horns [1]. Weapons can be present in males and females of …

Evolutionary convergence has been long considered primary evidence of adaptation driven
by natural selection and provides opportunities to explore evolutionary repeatability and …

Venom systems are key adaptations that have evolved throughout the tree of life and
typically facilitate predation or defense. Despite venoms being model systems for studying a …

Toxin evolution in animals is one of the most fascinating and complex subjects of scientific
inquiry today. Gaining an understanding of toxins poses a multifaceted challenge given the …