From ancient Conodonts to modern-day rattlesnakes, venom has independently evolved in a diverse array of creatures including snakes, spiders, scorpions, and even mammals like the platypus. Discover how venom serves as both a weapon for predation and a defense mechanism, and learn the crucial differences between venomous and poisonous animals.
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Works Cited
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“Biophysics of Snakebites: How Do Venomous Snakes Inject Venom Into Victim’s Wound?” ScienceDaily, 11 May 2011, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110516121728.htm.
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Black, Riley. “Sinornithosaurus Probably Wasn’T Venomous After All.” Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Nov. 2013, www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/sinornithosaurus-probably-wasnt-venomous-after-all-75529149.
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“Brazilian Pit Viper | ari.info.” ari.info, www.animalresearch.info/en/drug-development/venom-derived-drugs/brazilian-pit-viper.
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Conodonts: They Just Got Scarier. coo.fieldofscience.com/2009/12/conodonts-they-just-got-scarier.html.
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Dance, Amber. “Venomous Fish Have Evolved Many Ways to Inflict Pain.” Science News, 8 Aug. 2019, www.sciencenews.org/article/venomous-fish-have-evolved-many-ways-inflict-pain.
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Diabetes Drug From Gila Monster Venom. www.research.va.gov/research_in_action/Diabetes-drug-from-Gila-monster-venom.cfm.
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“Drug Derived From Gila Monster Saliva Helps Diabetics Control Glucose, Lose Weight.” ScienceDaily, 7 July 2007, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070709175815.htm.
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“For One of the Oldest Venomous Bites, Look to This Ancient Mammal Relative.” Earth Touch News Network, www.earthtouchnews.com/discoveries/fossils/for-one-of-the-oldest-venomous-bites-look-to-this-ancient-mammal-relative.
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Gila Monster: Meet the Reptile Whose Bite Is Saving Lives. 6 Nov. 2017, www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/the-monster-whose-bite-saves-lives.html.
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Gong, Enpu, et al. “The Birdlike Raptor Sinornithosaurus Was Venomous.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 107, no. 2, Dec. 2009, pp. 766–68. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0912360107.
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Intern, Nova. The Venom Chronicles: Dinosaur Venom | Inside NOVA | PBS. www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/insidenova/2011/02/the-venom-chronicles-dinosaur-venom.html.
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“Kiss of Death: Mammals Were the First Animals to Produce Venom.” ScienceDaily, 17 Feb. 2017, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/02/170213131412.htm#:~:text=Living%20in%20the%20Karoo%2C%20near,What%20is%20this%3F.
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NIHF Inductee Miguel Ondetti Invented Captopril Medication. 2024, www.invent.org/inductees/miguel-angel-ondetti.
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Rensch, Gage, and Heather M. Murphy-Lavoie. “Lionfish, Scorpionfish, and Stonefish Toxicity.” StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf, 31 July 2023, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482204.
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Music in this Episode
- Saver by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com
- Trader Ho Hey by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com
- Mute Groove by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com
- Skepto by Podington Bear, License (CC BY 3.0): Artist website: soundofpicture.com
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