Asymmetry of mandibular dentition is associated with dietary specialization in snail-eating snakes
Background In vertebrates, the left-and-right pairs of homologous organs are generally present in equal numbers. A remarkable exception is snail-eating snakes in the family Pareidae: almost all the pareid snakes have much more teeth on the right mandible than on the left for functional specializatio...
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PeerJ Inc.
2017-03-01
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| Online Access: | https://peerj.com/articles/3011.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797418416536027136 |
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| author | Masaki Hoso |
| author_facet | Masaki Hoso |
| author_sort | Masaki Hoso |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background In vertebrates, the left-and-right pairs of homologous organs are generally present in equal numbers. A remarkable exception is snail-eating snakes in the family Pareidae: almost all the pareid snakes have much more teeth on the right mandible than on the left for functional specialization in feeding on the dextral majority of land snails. Because the only exceptional species with symmetric dentition has been regarded as a slug-eater, the extent of dietary specialization on slugs could shape the degree of the lateral asymmetry of mandibular dentition (dentition asymmetry) even among snail eaters. Methods To test this, I compared the morphology and behavior of two sympatric species of Taiwanese snail-eating snakes, Pareas atayal and P. formosensis. Results Specimens collected in the same locality showed that the dentition asymmetry of P. formosensis was significantly smaller than that of P. atayal. Congruent to its weak asymmetry, P. formosensis showed a strong preference of slugs to snails in the feeding experiment. Discussion The dietary specialization of P. formosensis on slugs would contribute to niche partitioning from the sympatric congener P. atayal. This study suggests that the diverse variation in the dentition asymmetry of pareid snakes is the result of their dietary specialization and divergence. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:33:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bcbc509a9f554f7a873442934e40d3ac |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2167-8359 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T06:33:21Z |
| publishDate | 2017-03-01 |
| publisher | PeerJ Inc. |
| record_format | Article |
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| spelling | doaj.art-bcbc509a9f554f7a873442934e40d3ac2023-12-03T11:02:59ZengPeerJ Inc.PeerJ2167-83592017-03-015e301110.7717/peerj.3011Asymmetry of mandibular dentition is associated with dietary specialization in snail-eating snakesMasaki Hoso0Hakubi Center for Advanced Research, Kyoto University, Kyoto, JapanBackground In vertebrates, the left-and-right pairs of homologous organs are generally present in equal numbers. A remarkable exception is snail-eating snakes in the family Pareidae: almost all the pareid snakes have much more teeth on the right mandible than on the left for functional specialization in feeding on the dextral majority of land snails. Because the only exceptional species with symmetric dentition has been regarded as a slug-eater, the extent of dietary specialization on slugs could shape the degree of the lateral asymmetry of mandibular dentition (dentition asymmetry) even among snail eaters. Methods To test this, I compared the morphology and behavior of two sympatric species of Taiwanese snail-eating snakes, Pareas atayal and P. formosensis. Results Specimens collected in the same locality showed that the dentition asymmetry of P. formosensis was significantly smaller than that of P. atayal. Congruent to its weak asymmetry, P. formosensis showed a strong preference of slugs to snails in the feeding experiment. Discussion The dietary specialization of P. formosensis on slugs would contribute to niche partitioning from the sympatric congener P. atayal. This study suggests that the diverse variation in the dentition asymmetry of pareid snakes is the result of their dietary specialization and divergence.https://peerj.com/articles/3011.pdfPredationEvolutionary noveltyLeft–right asymmetryAdaptationSpecialization |
| spellingShingle | Masaki Hoso Asymmetry of mandibular dentition is associated with dietary specialization in snail-eating snakes PeerJ Predation Evolutionary novelty Left–right asymmetry Adaptation Specialization |
| title | Asymmetry of mandibular dentition is associated with dietary specialization in snail-eating snakes |
| title_full | Asymmetry of mandibular dentition is associated with dietary specialization in snail-eating snakes |
| title_fullStr | Asymmetry of mandibular dentition is associated with dietary specialization in snail-eating snakes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Asymmetry of mandibular dentition is associated with dietary specialization in snail-eating snakes |
| title_short | Asymmetry of mandibular dentition is associated with dietary specialization in snail-eating snakes |
| title_sort | asymmetry of mandibular dentition is associated with dietary specialization in snail eating snakes |
| topic | Predation Evolutionary novelty Left–right asymmetry Adaptation Specialization |
| url | https://peerj.com/articles/3011.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT masakihoso asymmetryofmandibulardentitionisassociatedwithdietaryspecializationinsnaileatingsnakes |