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 ...
They've survived 450 million years but might not make it the next 10? Gimmme a break...
Looks like it maybe related to a chameleon....
IIRC, there were originally 16 orders of reptiles of which 4 still have living representatives.
These four are
(1) the order which includes crocodiles and related species
(2) the order which includes turtles
(3) the order which includes snakes and lizards
(4) the order which is solely represented by the tuatara
Looks like it maybe related to a chameleon....
Looks like a lizard, walks like a lizard, eats like a lizard... but “science” tells us it’s not a lizard.
Who do you believe, your lying eyes or “science”?
It’s a bit like when it’s 10 under in Buffalo and the “scientists” are telling us the planet is burning.
My pastor once told me that he knew that God had a sense of humor. When I asked how did he know, he simply replied “The duck billed platypus”.
This seems to be the same thing but at a DNA level.
Mik would likely say, “Ya dig a hole in the sand, put some more brush down in thea, put the fire coals down on top and put your goana and grubs wrapped in a big leaf in. Put some more hot coals on top o’ that and put sand over that, be done in half an hour tops.”
Iguanas have a
Horny back.
.
No joke.
Tuatara like cold temperatures: they apparently survived the CretaceousTertiary extinction event that killed off dinosaur kin.
You can eat it, but it tastes like shit, right?
Especially, Bodacious Ta Ta’s!
... but tastes like chicken.
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