The study found that on islands with more space and more competition, rattlesnake venom became more specialized rather than more complex.
Notes on verification
Confirmed by peer-reviewed study (Hirst et al. 2025, Evolution) and corroborated by university press release and multiple independent science outlets with consistent wording and interpretation.
Sources
- What rattlesnake venom can teach us about evolution: New USF study | ScienceDaily (sciencedaily.com)
- https://www.usf.edu/news/2025/what-rattlesnake-venom-can-teach-us-about-evolution.aspx (usf.edu)
- https://academic.oup.com/evolut/article/79/8/1419/8118642 (academic.oup.com)
- https://www.popsci.com/environment/rattlesnake-venom-evolution/ (popsci.com)
- https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/11086/ (digitalcommons.usf.edu)