{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,28]],"date-time":"2026-09-28T20:47:00Z","timestamp":1790628420769,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":47,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2016,9,7]],"date-time":"2016-09-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1473206400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Toxins"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The \u201cfunction debate\u201d in the philosophy of biology and the \u201cvenom debate\u201d in the science of toxinology are conceptually related. Venom systems are complex multifunctional traits that have evolved independently numerous times throughout the animal kingdom. No single concept of function, amongst those popularly defended, appears adequate to describe these systems in all their evolutionary contexts and extant variations. As such, a pluralistic view of function, previously defended by some philosophers of biology, is most appropriate. Venom systems, like many other functional traits, exist in nature as points on a continuum and the boundaries between \u201cvenomous\u201d and \u201cnon-venomous\u201d species may not always be clearly defined. This paper includes a brief overview of the concept of function, followed by in-depth discussion of its application to venom systems. A sound understanding of function may aid in moving the venom debate forward. Similarly, consideration of a complex functional trait such as venom may be of interest to philosophers of biology.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/toxins8090263","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2016,9,7]],"date-time":"2016-09-07T09:59:46Z","timestamp":1473242386000},"page":"263","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":38,"title":["A Tricky Trait: Applying the Fruits of the \u201cFunction Debate\u201d in the Philosophy of Biology to the \u201cVenom Debate\u201d in the Science of Toxinology"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"8","author":[{"given":"Timothy","family":"Jackson","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Venom Evolution Lab, School of Bioloigical Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia QLD, 4072 Brisbane, Australia"},{"name":"Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, St Lucia QLD, 4072 Brisbane, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6661-1283","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bryan","family":"Fry","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Venom Evolution Lab, School of Bioloigical Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia QLD, 4072 Brisbane, Australia"},{"name":"Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, St Lucia QLD, 4072 Brisbane, Australia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2016,9,7]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hohwy, J., and Kallestrup, J. 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