Genomic adaptations for tail-length evolution in arboreal snakes.

ABSTRACT: Adaptation to arboreal environments requires overcoming gravitational constraints, driving repeated morphological innovations across snake lineages. Among these, elongated tails represent a key adaptation that enhances branch-gripping ability, yet the genomic changes underlying this trait remain poorly understood. Here, ancestral state reconstruction revealed that arboreality evolved independently in multiple snake clades, with tail elongation as a recurrent morphological adaptation. To investigate its genetic underpinnings, we generated a high-quality, chromosome-level genome assembly for the green cat snake (Boiga cyanea) and performed comparative analyses with the Asian vine snake (Ahaetulla prasina). We identified accelerated evolution in genes associated with somite specification, a c

SUBMITTER: Wang Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12915786 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature