Genomic insights into the mechanisms of body size evolution in Serpentes.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Body size is a critical trait that influences an animal's physiology, behavior, and ecology. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying its evolution remain poorly understood, particularly in snakes. Snakes exhibit an extremely wide range of body sizes and strong ecological adaptability. Among snake species, the maximum body mass exceeds the minimum by over 200,000-fold, while the maximum body length surpasses the minimum by more than 110-fold.

Results

Through phylogenomic and comparative genomic analyses of 26 snake genomes, we identified 77 body size-associated genes (BSAGs) related to body length or body mass, highlighting key genetic drivers of body size evolution. Functional enrichment analyses revealed that metabolic pathways, particularly fatty acid metab

SUBMITTER: Xia T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12039104 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature