Venomous animals are a striking example of the convergent evolution of a complex trait. These animals have independently evolved an apparatus that synthesizes, stores, and secretes a mixture of toxic compounds to the target animal through the infliction of a wound. Among these distantly related animals, some can modulate and compartmentalize functionally distinct venoms related to predation and defense. A process to separate distinct venoms can occur within and across complex life cycles as well as more streamlined ontogenies, depending on their life-history requirements. Moreover, the morphological and cellular complexity of the venom apparatus likely facilitates the functional diversity of venom deployed within a given life stage. Intersexual variation of venoms has also evolved further contributing to the massive diversity of toxic compounds characterized in these animals. These changes in the biochemical phenotype of venom can directly affect the fitness of these animals, having important implications in their diet, behavior, and mating biology. In this review, we explore the current literature that is unraveling the temporal dynamics of the venom system that are required by these animals to meet their ecological functions. These recent findings have important consequences in understanding the evolution and development of a convergent complex trait and its organismal and ecological implications.

中文翻译：

---

深入了解发育和生活史动态如何影响毒液的进化


有毒动物是复杂性状趋同进化的一个引人注目的例子。这些动物独立地进化出了一种装置，可以合成、储存有毒化合物的混合物，并通过造成伤口向目标动物分泌有毒化合物的混合物。在这些关系较远的动物中，有些动物可以调节和区分与捕食和防御相关的功能不同的毒液。分离不同毒液的过程可以在复杂的生命周期内和跨复杂的生命周期以及更简化的个体发育发生，具体取决于它们的生活史要求。此外，毒液装置的形态和细胞复杂性可能促进了给定生命阶段内部署的毒液的功能多样性。毒液的两性变异也进一步进化，导致这些动物体内有毒化合物的多样性。毒液生化表型的这些变化可以直接影响这些动物的健康状况，对其饮食、行为和交配生物学产生重要影响。在这篇综述中，我们探讨了当前的文献，这些文献正在阐明这些动物满足其生态功能所需的毒液系统的时间动态。这些最新发现对于理解趋同复杂性状的进化和发展及其有机和生态影响具有重要影响。