Systematically, snakes belong to the suborder of the scaly reptiles, along with lizards, and their distinctive features include the lack of legs, a hinged jaw, and sometimes a venomous bite. We currently know of about 4,000 species of snakes, and snakes make up one-eighth of all terrestrial vertebrate species. They are found in many different habitats: some live in trees, some swim, and some burrow. The big question is why are they so diverse and why do they have so many species? the Sciences In the February issue of the magazine, according to the editorial, all this is the result of evolutionary uniqueness.
Singularities are things that are unexpected in science and difficult to explain on a real-world level.
In physics, this is the interior of a black hole, where the laws of nature break down. In biology, singularity is somewhat milder, meaning immeasurably rapid and profound change that arises from the convergence of smaller features during the evolution of the lineage. Evolution is about the gradual development of adaptive traits, and it's never fast – but it is possible for a species to grow an unexpectedly amazing brain and dominate the entire planet over the course of thousands of years.
Likewise, there is something revolutionary about snakes.
From an evolutionary standpoint, lizards are like scooters or shopping carts because they change rapidly. Snakes resemble high-speed rail in the same way.
says Daniel Rabosky, a professor of biology at the University of Michigan.
We don't know what combination of traits led to the uniqueness of snakes, and we probably never will, because we can't filter out the original constellation of constant change.
A taxonomic map drawn from genetic analysis of scaly reptiles has revealed that snakes change three times faster than other scaly reptiles. This began sometime between 70 and 100 million years ago, and continues to this day, which is why new species are constantly being discovered. Recently, for example, it turned out that the world's largest snake is a different species than the green anaconda.
Meanwhile, lizards evolved snake-like features independently of snakes. There are legless lizards, venomous lizards, and lizards with flexible jaws, yet they do not evolve at the same frenetic pace as snakes.
We see in snakes many distinctive features that are not unique to them. But we do not see a cause and effect relationship where the emergence of traits leads to the sudden evolution of a large number of reptile species
– indicates study author Pascal Teitel, assistant professor at Stony Brook University.
By analyzing the stomach contents of 70,000 samples, it was found that snakes prefer to eat vertebrates, while lizards usually live on insects and invertebrates. Lizards are not very picky, but snakes often specialize in a particular food.
After examining tens of thousands of specimens in natural history museums around the world for ten years, the researchers found that we still know very little about this large group of terrestrial creatures. It is difficult, especially in tropical regions, to determine how many species are present and how they interact with each other and their environment. Due to man's constant destructive activities, it becomes increasingly impossible to explore this special world.
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