Posted on 08/09/2020 1:57:55 PM PDT by BenLurkin
According to new sequencing of the tuatara's entire genome - one of the largest on record and 50 percent larger than the human genome - it appears this strange creature is neither lizard, bird, nor mammal. Rather, it's some strange amalgamation of all three.
According to the authors of the new study, the animal's genomic architecture is unlike anything previously reported.
Found solely in New Zealand, the tuatara - which does greatly resemble a lizard to the untrained eye - is considered a taonga, or 'special treasure' for the local Māori.
These nocturnal creatures can live for a century, withstand super cold temperatures, hold their breath for as long as an hour, and see light out of a third 'parietal eye' on their heads.
Today, the species' closest relatives are snakes and lizards, but to call them relatives is a bit like calling a kangaroo a relative of humans. Their common ancestor actually goes back some 250 million years.
Throughout that huge amount of time, tuatara have remained the sole members of the archaic reptilian order known as Rhynchocephalia.
(Excerpt) Read more at sciencealert.com ...
ping
Not commonly known, Dr. Frankenstein retired to New Zealand.
“the tuatara - which does greatly resemble a lizard to the untrained eye”
Don’t look like a duck.
What can be eaten will be eaten.
Probably tastes like chicken.
“the tuatara - which does greatly resemble a lizard to the untrained eye”
Is that kind of like Mitt Romney resembles a republican
to the untrained eye?
Sure looks like a damn lizard
No, no, no - it all just evolved, it’s all just random luck, and don’t even ask damming questions, like “if all this stuff evolved, why do we still have the things they evolved from?”
Those kinds of questions lead to the inescapable conclusion that some kind of intelligent design was behind all this - and our liberal masters will have none of that.
... More importantly, how do you cook them?
Ask Crocodile Dundee
“Scientists already knew the tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus) was something else, but this new research suggests it’s even more unique than we suspected.”
Evolutionary theory hasn’t ever predicted anything.
Facinating, maybe this is kin to the lizard people. Has anyone tested their genome?
It’s a lizard.
Everybody likes “Ta-Tas”.
...but, but, but climate change may affect the sex of new eggs, spelling extinction.
As if-—having survived millions of years—a minimal spike one way or the other hasn’t happened to the ta-tas almost as many times.
Stop it. Get out.
I was expecting something a little more Dimetredon, but that ventral sail is weak!
Ventral? Derp! Dorsal.
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