For years, the origins of snake venom have remained a mystery to scientists. Recent discoveries suggest that venom proteins may have evolved from basic salivary proteins, shedding light on the process behind its development.
Snake Venom and Creative Scientists
An earlier theory about the origin of snake venom was that venom proteins appeared through the duplication of genes coding for bodily proteins. These duplicate genes were then transferred to venom glands, where natural selection acted to enhance or increase their toxicity. Although highly improbable, this hypothesis was widely accepted as fact.1
Recognizing that gene duplication is an exceptionally rare phenomenon and that the transfer of duplicate genes to another domain of expression is even rarer, some scientists began searching for an alternative explanation for the origin of snake venom. To do so, they compared gene expression in the salivary and venom glands, as well as other tissues in both venomous and non-venomous snakes.1
Research Findings
After conducting their studies, the research team concluded that the earlier hypothesis was unfounded due to a lack of supporting evidence. Instead, they discovered that venom genes are expressed in various tissues in the bodies of both venomous and non-venomous snakes, serving non-venomous functions, including in the salivary glands.1
As stated by researchers who conducted the studies, ‘Our analysis actually shows that most snake venom toxins likely originate from pre-existing salivary proteins (…) snake venom should be considered a modified form of saliva.’
However, how does toxicity arise if these proteins are found in various body tissues and not exclusively in venomous snakes? Based on their data, scientists suggest that, ‘A possible pathway through which pre-existing salivary proteins become venom toxins could simply be elevated levels of expression, where initial toxicity is dose-dependent.’
In other words, the increased expression of venom genes likely resulted from changes in their regulatory regions.
An Interesting Observation
The research article also included a noteworthy statement suggesting that some scientists are beginning to recognize that the neo-Darwinian model may hinder progress in research rather than advancing it. According to the authors, ‘Our findings highlight the problem of ‘just-so stories’ in evolutionary biology, especially when3 they reach a point when they are considered established fact.’
This is a reasonable critique of standard evolutionary reasoning. It appears that some scientists have the courage to seriously question routine evolutionary explanations.
Snake Venom Did Not Always Exist
These research findings align well with the biblical perspective. The Bible states that when God created the Earth and life, everything was perfect—free from violence, disease, and death. However, after the fall of the first human beings, all creation was cursed and subjected to these destructive factors. This raises the question of how the curse led to such negative changes.
Based on what is known about genomic decay, it is plausible that the cause was a degradation-related modification of the genome (genetic entropy)2,3. Thus, the toxic levels of venom found in modern venomous snakes may result from negative changes to genetic information, causing its overexpression in venom glands.
By the way, we recommend reading the articles:
- Durupinar – Has Noah’s Ark Been Found?
- Secrets of Ancient Civilizations – Part 1: Construction
- Secrets of Ancient Civilizations – Part 2: Science and Technology
- Secrets of Ancient Civilizations – Part 3: Origins
- Are There Planets Better Suited for Life Than Earth?
Footnotes
- Hargreaves, A. D. et al. 2014. Restriction and Recruitment—Gene Duplication and the Origin and Evolution of Snake Venom Toxins. Genome Biology and Evolution. 6 (8): 2088–2095.
- Sanford, J. C. 2008. Genetic Entropy and the Mystery of the Genome, 3rd ed. Waterloo, NY: FMS Publications.
- Sanford, J., J. Pamplin, and C. Rupe. 2014. Genetic Entropy Recorded in the Bible? FMS Foundation. PDF posted on kolbecenter.org July 2014; accessed December 1, 2022.
Compiled from: J. P. Tomkins, ‘Decoding snake-venom origins’, published on icr.org on September 3, 2014.
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