A Slight Genetic Tweak Is The Difference Between Mammal Saliva and Snake Venom

A new study shows that mammalian saliva and snake venom have a common genetic source and differ due to relatively modest differences in the evolution of that gene. The paper is:

Agneesh Barua, Ivan Koludarov, Alexander S. Mikheyev. "Co-option of the same ancestral gene family gave rise to mammalian and reptilian toxins." 19(1) BMC Biology (2021) DOI: 10.1186/s12915-021-01191-1