News: sea snakes

Some evolutionary losses may not be lost forever

Hyrophis curtus sea snake credit Satish Parashar

Nine species of sea snakes have now been identified as having regained the genetic requirements for advanced colour vision, demonstrating that once a complex trait has been lost to evolutionary time, it may be regained in some way.

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Evolution of colour vision in sea snakes

Image of a stripey sea snake

New research has revealed the evolution of colour vision in front-fanged snakes following their transition from terrestrial to fully marine environments, and for the first time, provided evidence of where, when and how frequently the species have adapted their ability to see in colour. The research suggests sea snakes’ vision has been modifying genetically over millions of generations, enabling them to adapt to new environments and meaning they can continue to see prey – and predators – deep below the sea surface.

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