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Monday, November 23, 2009

Photo: Snake-Fang Evolution Mystery Solved -- "Major Surprise"


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Biologist Freek Vonk goes eye to eye with the longest venomous snake species in the world—a female king cobra—in the Indonesian rainforest.

A study published in July 2008 suggests venomous snakes got their poison 60 million years ago and fang variation among species evolved after that.

Vonk, the lead author, said the findings were "a major, major surprise."

Photograph courtesy Freek Vonk