Dissertation Research: Phylogenetic Relationships and the Evolution of Venoms in the South American "Triad" Coral Snakes (Micrurus, Elapidae)

珊瑚蛇（Elapidae:Micrurus）是一种具有高度神经毒性的大而多彩的新世界蛇类，在热带地区具有高度的物种多样性，并已成为各种拟态研究的模型。最近对它们的系统发育（系谱）关系的研究在许多方面都失败了；物种群只是初步确定，仍然缺乏支持。本研究将利用形态学、同工酶和mtDNA序列数据的结合来解决这个问题。它的第二个目标将是利用10-12种常用的毒液酶来发展一种关于这类蛇的毒液生化变化历史的假设。这一假设将为该物种在生态背景下的自然史和毒液毒性研究提供一个框架。

9412285 Sites Coral snakes (Elapidae:Micrurus) constitute a large and colorful group of highly neurotoxic New World snakes that attain high species diversity in the tropics and have served as models for a variety of studies of mimicry. Recent studies of their phylogenetic (genealogical) relationships have failed in many respects; species groups have only been tentatively identified and remain weakly supported. The present study will address this problem using a combination of morphological, isozyme, and mtDNA sequence data. Its second objective will be to develop a hypothesis about the history of change in venom biochemistry within this group of snakes using 10-12 commonly assayed venom enzymes. This hypothesis will provide a framework for additional natural history and venom toxicity studies of the species within an ecological context.