Venom peptides reveal secrets of scorpion evolution

The Kolotl magnus scorpion from Guerrero, Mexico

Source: © Carlos Santibanez-Lopez

The shapes of toxins found in venom are helping to resolve the scorpion’s family tree

Peptides found in scorpion venom have shed new light on the animal’s evolutionary history, and may offer a new way to evaluate many other complex relationships found in nature.