NYU Abu Dhabi researchers present the first study of the adaptation of horns in viper snakes

Abu Dhabi, UAE - A key element in the study of evolutionary biology is understanding the adaptive significance of phenotypic variation, plainly, why certain phenotypes exist in a population. In a new study, New York University (NYU) Abu Dhabi PhD student Theo Busschau and Principal Investigator at the Evolutionary Genomics Lab at NYU Abu Dhabi Stephane Boissinot, present insights about the evolution of nasal and ocular horns in vipers.

Specifically, Busschau and Boissinot have discovered a correlation between the evolution of specific horn types and viper habitats. This is the first time that a study has provided insights about the evolution of horns in snakes.

In the paper titled Habitat determines convergent evolution of cephalic horns in vipers recently published in the journal Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, the researchers analyzed 263 viper species, representative of 68 percent of all known vipers, and created a database of their traits alongside categories of habitats and diets. Within these taxa, the researchers detected significant correlations between horn types and selected habitats. For instance, nasal horns showed a clear association with terrestrial forest habitats, while taxa with ocular horns were associated with living in trees or sparsely vegetated habitats. The results also showed that horns were gained and lost often throughout the evolutionary history of vipers, and evolved gradually. There was no significant correlation detected between horn type and diet.

The function and evolutionary history of horns in snakes has long been a mystery to evolutionary biologists. This study is the first to examine the correlation between this adaptive trait and snake ecology. The study fills a gap in an important area of evolutionary science, and leads the way for future studies to explore the function of the horns of vipers and other mysterious adaptive traits.

“Through the rigorous study of hundreds of species of vipers, we provided key insights about the adaptive significance of horns in vipers. It is our hope that this work will inspire further studies on the function of ocular and nasal horns in different habitat types,” said Boissinot. “The continued study of these incredible reptiles can help the scientific community to understand the complexities of evolution as it continues to happen before our very eyes.”

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NYU Abu Dhabi is the first comprehensive liberal arts and research campus in the Middle East to be operated abroad by a major American research university. NYU Abu Dhabi has integrated a highly selective undergraduate curriculum across the disciplines with a world center for advanced research and scholarship. The university enables its students in the sciences, engineering, social sciences, humanities, and arts to succeed in an increasingly interdependent world and advance cooperation and progress on humanity’s shared challenges. NYU Abu Dhabi’s high-achieving students have come from over 115 countries and speak over 115 languages. Together, NYU's campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai form the backbone of a unique global university, giving faculty and students opportunities to experience varied learning environments and immersion in other cultures at one or more of the numerous study-abroad sites NYU maintains on six continents.

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