Loss of Claw Proteins in Snakes and Worm Lizards
Author Information
Author(s): Holthaus Karin Brigit, Steinbinder Julia, Sachslehner Attila Placido, Eckhart Leopold
Primary Institution: Medical University of Vienna
Hypothesis
The evolution of the limbless body anatomy of the Florida worm lizard and the concomitant loss of claws has led to the degeneration of genes with claw-associated functions.
Conclusion
The study concludes that the convergent evolution of a limbless body was associated with the convergent loss of claw keratins and differentiation genes in squamates.
Supporting Evidence
- The orthologs of mammalian hair and nail keratins have undergone pseudogenization in the Florida worm lizard.
- The epidermal differentiation complex genes EDYM1 and EDCCs have been lost in the Florida worm lizard.
- Proteomic analysis confirmed that type I and type II hair keratin homologs are protein components of claws in squamates.
Takeaway
Some lizards and snakes lost their claws over time, and this study found that the genes responsible for making claws also disappeared in these animals.
Methodology
The study performed comparative genomics of reptiles with claws and limbless reptiles that lack claws to identify gene families associated with claw functions.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website