Venoms are integrated phenotypes that evolved independently in, and are used for
predatory and defensive purposes by, a wide phylogenetic range of organisms. The same …

Natural selection is an important driver of microevolution. Yet, despite significant theoretical
debate, we still have a poor understanding of how selection operates on interacting traits (ie …

Sexual dimorphisms are abundant in natural systems; however, their ecological and
evolutionary significance have largely been neglected with respect to Chondrichthyes. A …

Snakes are a diverse group of squamate reptiles characterized by a unique feeding system
and other traits associated with elongation and limblessness. Despite the description of …

Galápagos snakes are among the least studied terrestrial vertebrates of the Archipelago.
Here, we provide a phylogenetic analysis and a time calibrated tree for the group, based on …

Background Fangs are a putative key innovation that revolutionized prey capture and
feeding in snakes, and–along with their associated venom phenotypes–have made snakes …

Snakes are a highly successful group of vertebrates, within great diversity in habitat, diet,
and morphology. The unique adaptations for the snake skull for ingesting large prey in more …

Inference of feeding adaptation in extinct species is challenging, and reconstructions of the
paleobiology of our ancestors have utilized an array of analytical approaches. Comparative …

Evolutionary trajectories are often biased by developmental and historical factors. However,
environmental factors can also impose constraints on the evolutionary trajectories of …

As snakes are limbless, gape-limited predators, their skull is the main feeding structure
involved in prey handling, manipulation and feeding. Ontogenetic changes in prey type and …