India's cobras share genetic ties across the mainland, while Sri Lankan cobras form a distinct genetic lineage
The spectacled cobra (Naja naja) is one of India's "big four" snakes responsible for most serious snakebite cases. It is currently considered one species, which lives across much of South Asia, with regional differences in color, hood markings and venom. However, it's still unclear which regional cobra populations represent separate evolutionary groups. A new study published in Molecular…
A new study published in Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution has shed light on the genetic relationships among different populations of spectacled cobras (Naja naja) across India and Sri Lanka. The research, which sequenced nine DNA markers from 67 cobras across major Indian regions, found that the mainland cobras shared a large number of genetic variants and showed no clear regional evolutionary divisions.
This pattern suggests widespread genetic mixing, even with the many differences in appearance and venom across India and nearby regions. However, the study also revealed that the Sri Lankan cobras formed a distinct genetic lineage, separate from the mainland populations. Despite this genetic differentiation, the researchers concluded that the Sri Lankan and mainland cobras still belong to the same species, although genetic differentiation alone is not enough to settle species status.
The study highlights the limitations of previous research, which had limited sampling from India, and emphasizes the need for further investigation into the phylogenetic history and geographic distribution of spectacled cobras.
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