Believe it or not, human limbs and snake penises have a lot more in common than you would think, at least according to a new study by University of Georgia scientists, the results of which are now published in the journal Developmental Cell. While its true that you may find snakes slithering limbless on the ground today, they actually develop their penises using a DNA sequence related to limb development found in other creatures.
WHAT DO SNAKE PENISES HAVE TO DO WITH ME?
Initial observations of the snake genome revealed something interesting: snakes seemed to retain a similar limb-building “enhancer,” called Tbx4, that is present in mammals today. But what purpose does this genetic element serve to a creature that that has neither arms nor legs? In order to come to an answer, scientists applied a snake and lizard version of the limb enhancer to function in mice.
Interestingly enough, the lizard version drove gene expression in the genitalia and in the legs of the mice, whereas the snake version had only retained the ability to drive expression in the genitalia. Thus, although Tbx4 is commonly referred to as a “limb enhancer,” based on the results of this study, scientists argue it should be reclassified as an “appendage enhancer.”
WHAT DOES THE STUDY DATA REVEAL ABOUT HISTORY AND EVOLUTION?
For this particular study, researchers utilized the genomes of three snake species: the boa constrictor, Burmese python and king cobra. The findings help to reveal a commonality in genetic origin. The evolution of the phallus, in particular, has been a difficult area to study, as external genitalia do not mineralize in the fossil record, according to Mirror.co.uk.
The very idea of ancestral commonality between humans and reptiles is also provocative in nature, especially since snakes first appear in the fossil record around 98 million years ago. By contrast, modern humans materialize around 150,000 years ago. The notion of a “human reptilian” connection, however, is not new and has its roots in ancient history. ‘Lizard people,’ for example, make an appearance in various religions and early texts.
