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Biology

The Evolution of Venom Delivery Systems in Cone Snails and Their Peptide Diversity

Quick fact

Cone snails hunt with a disposable, harpoon-like tooth that they fire from a flexible proboscis, injecting a cocktail of hundreds of different peptides. This venom is so precise that some peptides are being developed into painkillers thousands of times more potent than morphine.

Why this is interesting

Imagine a snail that hunts with a harpoon and a venom so potent it can paralyze a fish in seconds. Cone snails are masters of this deadly art, but how did they evolve such a sophisticated weapon?