>>From this point we can probably check the venoms of these snakes
>>for elapid nurotoxins.

Been there, done that Here are two examples from my publications page (www.venomdoc.com/publications.html)

Fry BG, Lumsden N, Wüster W, Wickramaratna J, HodgsonWC and. Kini RM. (2003) "Isolation of a neurotoxin (alpha-colubritoxin) from a 'non-venomous' colubrid: evidence for early origin of venom in snakes. Journal of Molecular Evolution 57(4):446-452
http://www.venomdoc.com/downloads/2003_BGF_alpha-colubritoxin.pdf

Fry BG, Wüster W, Ramjan SFR, Jackson T, Martelli P and Kini RM. (2003) "LC/MS (liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry) analysis of Colubroidea snake venoms: evolutionary and toxinological implications." Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry 17: 2047-2062.
http://www.venomdoc.com/downloads/2003_BGF_Colubroidea_RCMS.pdf

The 'elapid' neurotoxins are in fact found in the venoms of all the various 'colubrid' families, even the most basal types but are not found in viper venoms. There are, however, a number of toxins that are shared amongst all the advanced snakes (vipers, 'colubrids', atractaspids and elapids)

Fry BG and Wüster W (2004) "Assembling an arsenal: Origin and evolution of the snake venom proteome inferred from phylogenetic analysis of toxin sequences". Molecular Biology and Evolution 21(5): 870-883.
http://www.venomdoc.com/downloads/2004_BGF_Assembling_an_Arsenal.pdf

Cheers
Bryan
Publications page


-----
Dr. Bryan Grieg Fry
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Australian Venom Research Unit,
University of Melbourne
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Population and Evolutionary Genetics Unit,
Museum Victoria
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.venomdoc.com

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