Australian biologists have shown how our prehistoric ancestors evolved to avoid snake venom. The study, published in the journal BMC Biology and released Tuesday by the University of Queensland (UQ), adds a new layer to understanding our evolutionary past, showing how early upright primates evolved because of increased vision and venom resistance. They started coming in contact with snakes, according to the report of Xinhua news agency. UQ doctoral candidate and contributing author Richard Harris told Xinhua that these traits were produced in an “evolutionary arms race” over millions of years. Defend yourself from poisonous snakes. This probably led to an evolutionary arms race and evolved resistance to this toxin,” Harris said.
The breakthrough came when the team found that humans, chimpanzees, and gorillas all shared the exact same receptor sequence that had evolved to resist snake venom, a sequence that is similar to that of other tree-keeping primate species. that was not found in lemurs and other South American. monkey
“Humans, chimpanzees and gorillas had the greatest resistance that we found, and this was because the whole group had the same receptor sequence,” Harris said.
“It is important to note that this resistance is not absolute – we are not immune to cobra venom, much less likely to die than other primates,” notes Brian Fry, associate professor at UQ’s School of Biological Sciences.
Harris said the study also looked at how the evolution of human vision may have been an evolutionary adaptation as primates descend from treetops and need to see more distances.
“Many primate groups have also developed excellent vision, which is believed to have helped them locate and defend themselves against venomous snakes.”
Harris said the discovery would open a new window into the understanding of primate evolution and could also explain migratory patterns in “our ancestors.”
“(This would allow us) to further explore this connection between primates and early hominins and venomous snakes … (which would allow us to understand their evolutionary history.”
“We are increasingly recognizing that snakes played a role in the evolution of primates, including the structure of our brains, aspects of language and even tool use,” Fry said.
“This work reveals another piece in the puzzle of this complex arms race.”
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