Scientists found the answer, why the snakes have no legs?

Why the snakes have no legs? So far, we may be satisfied with the answer: the snakes evolved. However, two scientists from the University of Florida, ie Martin Cohn, Ph.D., and Ph.D. candidate Francisca Leal would like to delve deeper, especially in terms of genetics. They also want to know whether the evolution could make the snake became legged on the future.

(Pictured: the Burmese python) Why the snakes have no legs. (Picture from: http://adf.ly/1f9wWu)

The scientists research uncover, development of limbs in snakes is determined by the "Sonic the Hedgehog" genes. And the name of "Sonic the hedgehog" is taken from a similar urchins bone are grown in the early on the snakes embryo.

"It was one of the strangest in the vertebrate skeleton," said Martin J Cohn who is doing research. Although snakes have no legs now, but the gene still exist. The gene can be "on" and "off". In the snakes, the gene is "off" so that the legs do not grow.

"In lizards, the Sonic hedgehog "on" and acting as a motor, and encourage the development of means of motion of the hand up to the fingers," explains Cohn as quoted of Motherboard on Wednesday, October 25, 2016.

In his publication on the journal Current Biology, Cohn reveals that the python's Sonic Hedgehog gene was "on" in the early embryo. That's why the python may sometimes have some sort of claw that actually is going to the feet.

These findings suggest, python may actually has the feet. No need evolution. But the phyton only should took exact genetic mutations, then the legs grew. The genetic studies on the snakes can be useful to study the evolution wider.

"I think this could be the basis to conduct a comparative study of how organs lost in evolution," said Cohn. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | MOTHERBOARD]

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