A recent study reveals that elapoid snakes, including cobras and mambas, first emerged in Asia approximately 35 million years ago.

The research suggests that these snakes reached Africa around 30 million years ago, following their initial evolution in Asia.

Published in the Royal Society Open Science, the study involved analyzing DNA from 65 snake species and integrating data from 434 additional species to construct an elapoid evolutionary tree.

This comprehensive analysis highlights the diversity of elapoid snakes, which includes over 700 species found in tropical and subtropical regions.

The research team, comprising evolutionary biologists from the University of Kansas, the American Museum of Natural History, and the University of Helsinki, established that the Elapidae family originated in Asia, challenging previous beliefs of an African origin.

Earlier studies had suggested an African origin based on limited genetic data and fossil records, but new genetic evidence contradicts this notion.

The analysis revealed that members of the Elapidae family did not appear in Africa until approximately 5 million years later, colonizing the continent in four distinct waves.

This research challenges the long-standing 'out-of-Africa' hypothesis regarding elapoid snake evolution and reshapes the understanding of their origins.

These findings are significant for evolutionary and medical research, particularly in the study of snake venom and its applications.

The researchers noted a lack of comprehensive data on the evolutionary history of the elapoid family, which led to unreliable conclusions in earlier studies.

The team's findings effectively refute the notion of an African origin for the Elapidae family, asserting that their true origin lies in Asia.