New Snake Genome Study Sheds Light on Limb Loss and Sensory Superpowers

<正>A sweeping genomic study of snakes, published in Cell, has shed new light on the genetic basis of their unique traits and evolutionary adaptations. An international team, led by Dr. LI Jiatang from the CAS Chengdu Institute of Biology (CIB), analyzed the genomes of 25 snake species with a wide diversity, including blind snakes, pythons, and pit vipers. This extensive dataset allowed the researchers to track changes in the snake genome over 117 million years of evolution, and identify genetic modifications linked to limb loss, infrared sensing,asymmetrical lung development, and other distinctive snake features.