Evolutionary history of burrowing asps (Lamprophiidae: Atractaspidinae) with emphasis on fang evolution and prey selection

• Published in: PloS one 2019-04, Vol.14 (4), p.e0214889
• Main Authors: Portillo, Frank, Stanley, Edward L, Branch, William R, Conradie, Werner, Rödel, Mark-Oliver, Penner, Johannes, Barej, Michael F, Kusamba, Chifundera, Muninga, Wandege M, Aristote, Mwenebatu M, Bauer, Aaron M, Trape, Jean-François, Nagy, Zoltán T, Carlino, Piero, Pauwels, Olivier S G, Menegon, Michele, Ineich, Ivan, Burger, Marius, Zassi-Boulou, Ange-Ghislain, Mazuch, Tomáš, Jackson, Kate, Hughes, Daniel F, Behangana, Mathias, Greenbaum, Eli
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adaptation; Analysis; Animal biology; Animal Structures - anatomy & histology; Animal Structures - physiology; Animals; Atractaspididae; Biodiversity; Biology; Biology and Life Sciences; Computer and Information Sciences; Cytochromes b - genetics; Dentition; Divergence; Earth Sciences; Ecology and Environmental Sciences; Environmental science; Evolution; Evolution, Molecular; Evolutionary biology; Fossil reptiles; Genera; Genes; Genes, Mitochondrial; Genes, mos; Genes, RAG-1; Genetic aspects; Genetic research; Life history; Life Sciences; Medicine and Health Sciences; Miocene; Mitochondria; Mitochondrial DNA; Museums; NADH Dehydrogenase - genetics; Natural history; Natural selection; People and Places; Phylogenetics; Phylogeny; Pliocene; Predatory Behavior; Prey; Prey selection; RAG1 protein; Reptiles & amphibians; Researchers; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - genetics; Snakes; Taxonomy; Teeth; Time Factors; Venom; Vertebrate Zoology; Viperidae - classification; Viperidae - genetics; Viperidae - physiology
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214889

Atractaspidines are poorly studied, fossorial snakes that are found throughout Africa and western Asia, including the Middle East. We employed concatenated gene-tree analyses and divergence dating approaches to investigate evolutionary relationships and biogeographic patterns of atractaspidines with a multi-locus data set consisting of three mitochondrial (16S, cyt b, and ND4) and two nuclear genes (c-mos and RAG1). We sampled 91 individuals from both atractaspidine genera (Atractaspis and Homoroselaps). Additionally, we used ancestral-state reconstructions to investigate fang and diet evolution within Atractaspidinae and its sister lineage (Aparallactinae). Our results indicated that current classification of atractaspidines underestimates diversity within the group. Diversification occurred predominantly between the Miocene and Pliocene. Ancestral-state reconstructions suggest that snake dentition in these taxa might be highly plastic within relatively short periods of time to facilitate adaptations to dynamic foraging and life-history strategies.