Ecological release and venom evolution of a predatory marine snail at Easter Island.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Ecological release is coupled with adaptive radiation and ecological diversification yet little is known about the molecular basis of phenotypic changes associated with this phenomenon. The venomous, predatory marine gastropod Conus miliaris has undergone ecological release and exhibits increased dietary breadth at Easter Island.

Methodology/principal findings

We examined the extent of genetic differentiation of two genes expressed in the venom of C. miliaris among samples from Easter Island, American Samoa and Guam. The population from Easter Island exhibits unique frequencies of alleles that encode distinct peptides at both loci. Levels of divergence at these loci exceed observed levels of divergence observed at a mitochondrial gene region at Easter Island.

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SUBMITTER: Duda TF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2680045 | biostudies-literature | 2009 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature