A team of researchers from the University of Bristol studying the 'living fossil' Sphenodon - or tuatara - have identified a new way to measure the evolutionary rate of these enigmatic creatures, giving credence to Darwin's ...
Paleontology & Fossils
Feb 22, 2017
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The fossilised remains of a reptile closely related to lizards are the oldest yet to be discovered. Two new fossil jaws discovered in Vellberg, Germany provide the first direct evidence that the ancestors of lizards, snakes ...
Archaeology
Sep 24, 2013
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0
Scientists from the University of Adelaide and South Australian Museum have collaborated with Otago University, New Zealand and a global team to sequence the genome of the tuatara—a rare reptile whose ancestors once roamed ...
Archaeology
Aug 5, 2020
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713
Smithsonian researchers have discovered a new extinct species of lizard-like reptile that belongs to the same ancient lineage as New Zealand's living tuatara. A team of scientists, including the National Museum of Natural ...
Evolution
Sep 15, 2022
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158
The turtle is a closer relative of crocodiles and birds than of lizards and snakes, according to researchers who claim to have solved an age-old riddle in animal evolution.
Plants & Animals
May 16, 2012
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0
The tuatara, an iconic New Zealand reptile, chews its food in a way unlike any other animal on the planet – challenging the widespread perception that complex chewing ability is closely linked to high metabolism.
Plants & Animals
May 29, 2012
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0
There are more than 400,000 species of beetles and only two species of the tuatara, a reptile cousin of snakes and lizards that lives in New Zealand. Crocodiles and alligators, while nearly 250 million years old, have diversified ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 28, 2012
18
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Have you ever heard of the tuatara? It's a reptile that decapitates birds with its saw-like jaws, lives to about 100 years old, and can remain active in near-freezing temperatures.
Plants & Animals
May 12, 2017
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34
(PhysOrg.com) -- Mammals and many species of birds and fish are among evolution's "winners," while crocodiles, alligators and a reptile cousin of snakes known as the tuatara are among the losers, according to new research ...
Evolution
Jul 29, 2009
8
0
Following the settlement of Aotearoa New Zealand, many native species were wiped from the mainland. It's a familiar story—one that has affected species like the iconic flightless kākāpō and the tuatara, a reptile in ...
Plants & Animals
Oct 17, 2022
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