Global Environmental Factors Impact the Evolution of Adult Hemoglobins in Squamata Reptiles (Lizards and Snakes) and Terrestrial Turtles.

ABSTRACT: Convergent evolution of oxygen transport mechanisms arises from respiratory proteins adapting to similar environmental pressures. We examined this relationship between adult hemoglobin subunits (Hbs: HBA1, HBAD, HBB1, and HBB2) found in land reptiles (lizards, snakes, and turtles) with their global distribution variables: Altitude, latitude, ambient temperature, and biomass production. We found that biomass was positively associated with the synonymous substitution rate (dS) of HBAD, while it showed the opposite trend for HBB2 in snakes. Additionally, latitude was negatively related to the dS of HBB2 in snakes, but nonsignificant with other Hbs. Altitude was negatively associated with ω = dN/dS of HBA1 and HBAD, whereas temperature showed a similar negative trend with the ω of HBAD across

SUBMITTER: Carvajal-Castro JD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12504858 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature