Pain isn't the point: European viper venoms may have evolved to subdue prey

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August 12, 20261 min readScience

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For many people, the fear of venomous snakes is linked to one thing: pain. Yet new research led by scientists at Bangor University suggests that, for Europe's vipers, at least, causing pain may never have been a driving force in the evolution of their venom.

Key takeaways

01For many people, the fear of venomous snakes is linked to one thing: pain.
02Yet new research led by scientists at Bangor University suggests that, for Europe's vipers, at least, causing pain may never have been a driving force in the evolution of their venom.

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