1.4 Evolution of a Venom Arsenal

summary

Venom can be found in a multitude of species, ranging from simple jellyfish to complex platypuses.
- Venom changes physical warfare into biochemical warfare: the size of the species doesn’t matter; instead the chemical compounds (toxins) that are in the venom allow much smaller species to survive.
- It is believed that roughly 15% of all species are venomous.
Convergent evolution refers to the development of similar traits among species independent of each other.
Venom has been used in the development of therapies for human diseases and disorders.
- One breakthrough is that the cone snail’s venom can be used to treat pain. Since it does not work on opioid receptors, it is non-addicting.
Venom is a complex mixture of peptides, proteins, and small molecules. It is effective because it targets the nervous, circulatory, and muscular systems.
Venom has multiple uses, including being used for defense, predation, and intraspecific competition, just to name a few.
There are a number of factors that drive the evolution of venom, including: an evolutionary arms race between predator and prey, developing venom that is hyper-potent to always ensure a kill, and differing diets producing different compositions of venom.