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emydomyces testavorans, a new genus and species of onygenalean fungus isolated from shell lesions of freshwater aquatic turtles.the fungal order onygenales includes many pathogens of humans and animals, and recent studies have shown some onygenalean fungi to be significant emerging pathogens of reptiles. although many of these fungi have similar morphological features in histologic tissue sections, recent molecular analyses have revealed a genetically complex and diverse group of reptile pathogens comprising several genera, most notably nannizziopsis, ophidiomyces, and paranannizziopsis infections by members of these gen ...201930487306
mesozoic sooty mould beetles as living relicts in new zealand.new zealand is an island continent that completed its split from the gondwanan continent at 52 ma, harbouring an iconic biota of tuatara, kiwi and weta. the sooty mould community is a distinctive trophic element of new zealand forest ecosystems that is driven by plant-feeding sternorrhynchan hemiptera. these produce honeydew, which supports fungal growth, which in turn supports numerous endemic invertebrates, including endemic new zealand beetle families. ancient new zealand insect fossils are r ...201931847777
the first co-opted endogenous foamy viruses and the evolutionary history of reptilian foamy viruses.a recent study reported the discovery of an endogenous reptilian foamy virus (fv), termed erv-spuma-spu, found in the genome of tuatara. here, we report two novel reptilian foamy viruses also identified as endogenous fvs (efvs) in the genomes of panther gecko (erv-spuma-ppi) and schlegel's japanese gecko (erv-spuma-gja). their presence indicates that fvs are capable of infecting reptiles in addition to mammals, amphibians, and fish. numerous copies of full length erv-spuma-spu elements were foun ...201931336856
cerebrospinal fluid-contacting neurons in the regenerating spinal cord of lizards and amphibians are likely mechanoreceptors.during spinal cord (sc) regeneration in the tail of amphibians and lizards, small neurons in contact with the central canal and cerebrospinal fluid (csf) are formed. the present review summarizes previous and recent studies that have characterized most of these neurons as cerebrospinal fluid-contacting neurons (csfcns), especially in the regenerating caudal sc of lizards. csfcns form tufts of stereocilia immersed in the csf, secrete exosomes, and are often in contact with a secreted protein-rod ...201931233249
molecular structure of sauropsid β-keratins from tuatara (sphenodon punctatus).the birds and reptiles, collectively known as the sauropsids, can be subdivided phylogenetically into the archosaurs (birds, crocodiles), the testudines (turtles), the squamates (lizards, snakes) and the rhynchocephalia (tuatara). the structural framework of the epidermal appendages from the sauropsids, which include feathers, claws and scales, has previously been characterised by electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction analyses, as well as by studies of the amino acid s ...201930978459
a reptilian endogenous foamy virus sheds light on the early evolution of retroviruses.endogenous retroviruses (ervs) represent host genomic 'fossils' of ancient viruses. foamy viruses, including those that form endogenous copies, provide strong evidence for virus-host co-divergence across the vertebrate phylogeny. endogenous foamy viruses (efvs) have previously been discovered in mammals, amphibians, and fish. here we report a novel endogenous foamy virus, termed erv-spuma-spu, in genome of the tuatara (sphenodon punctatus), an endangered reptile species endemic to new zealand. p ...201930838130
microscopical observations on the regenerating tail in the tuatara sphenodon punctatus indicate a tendency to scarring, but also influence from somatic growth.the process of tail regeneration in the tuatara (sphenodon punctatus) is not entirely known. similarity to and differences from lizard tail regenerations are indicated in the present histological and ultrastructural study. regeneration is influenced by the animal's age and ambient temperature, but in comparison to that of lizards it is very slow and tends to produce outgrowths that do not reach the length of the original tail. although microscopically similar to lizard blastemas, the mesenchyme ...201930667531
extreme thermal fluctuations from climate change unexpectedly accelerate demographic collapse of vertebrates with temperature-dependent sex determination.global climate is warming rapidly, threatening vertebrates with temperature-dependent sex determination (tsd) by disrupting sex ratios and other traits. less understood are the effects of increased thermal fluctuations predicted to accompany climate change. greater fluctuations could accelerate feminization of species that produce females under warmer conditions (further endangering tsd animals), or counter it (reducing extinction risk). here we use novel experiments exposing eggs of painted tur ...201930862793
sphenodon punctatus (tuatara). 202033097277
learning in non-avian reptiles 40 years on: advances and promising new directions.recently, there has been a surge in cognition research using non-avian reptile systems. as a diverse group of animals, non-avian reptiles [turtles, the tuatara, crocodylians, and squamates (lizards, snakes and amphisbaenids)] are good model systems for answering questions related to cognitive ecology, from the role of the environment on the brain, behaviour and learning, to how social and life-history factors correlate with learning ability. furthermore, given their variable social structure and ...202033073470
the untapped potential of reptile biodiversity for understanding how and why animals age.1. the field of comparative aging biology has greatly expanded in the past 20 years. longitudinal studies of populations of reptiles with a range of maximum lifespans have accumulated and been analyzed for evidence of mortality senescence and reproductive decline. while not as well represented in studies of amniote senescence, reptiles have been the subjects of many recent demographic and mechanistic studies of the biology of aging. 2. we review recent literature on reptile demographic senescenc ...202032921868
palaeontological evidence reveals convergent evolution of intervertebral joint types in amniotes.the intervertebral disc (ivd) has long been considered unique to mammals. palaeohistological sampling of 17 mostly extinct clades across the amniote tree revealed preservation of different intervertebral soft tissue types (cartilage, probable notochord) seen in extant reptiles. the distribution of the fossilised tissues allowed us to infer the soft part anatomy of the joint. surprisingly, we also found evidence for an ivd in fossil reptiles, including non-avian dinosaurs, ichthyosaurs, plesiosau ...202032839497
publisher correction: the tuatara genome reveals ancient features of amniote evolution.an amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.202032811988
structure and topology of the linkers in the conserved lepidosaur β-keratin chain with four 34-residue repeats support an interfilament role for the central linker.the β-keratin chain with four 34-residue repeats that is conserved across the lepidosaurs (lizards, snakes and tuatara) contains three linker regions as well as a short, conserved n-terminal domain and a longer, more variable c-terminal domain. earlier modelling had shown that only six classes of structure involving the four 34-residue repeats were possible. in three of these the 34-residue repeats were confined to a single filament (classes 1, 2 and 3) whereas in the remaining three classes the ...202032800921
tuatara genome reveals diverse insights into a remarkable reptile. 202032760036
the tuatara genome reveals ancient features of amniote evolution.the tuatara (sphenodon punctatus)-the only living member of the reptilian order rhynchocephalia (sphenodontia), once widespread across gondwana1,2-is an iconic species that is endemic to new zealand2,3. a key link to the now-extinct stem reptiles (from which dinosaurs, modern reptiles, birds and mammals evolved), the tuatara provides key insights into the ancestral amniotes2,4. here we analyse the genome of the tuatara, which-at approximately 5 gb-is among the largest of the vertebrate genomes y ...202032760000
heat tolerance of reptile embryos: current knowledge, methodological considerations, and future directions.aspects of global change result in warming temperatures that threaten biodiversity across the planet. eggs of non-avian, oviparous reptiles (henceforth "reptiles") are particularly vulnerable to warming due to a lack of parental care during incubation and limited ability to behaviorally thermoregulate. because warming temperatures will cause increases in both mean and variance of nest temperatures, it is crucial to consider embryo responses to both chronic and acute heat stress. although many st ...202032757379
identification of epidermal differentiation genes of the tuatara provides insights into the early evolution of lepidosaurian skin.the tuatara (sphenodon punctatus) is the phylogenetically closest relative of squamates (including lizards and snakes) from which it diverged around 250 million years ago. together, they constitute the clade lepidosauria. fully terrestrial vertebrates (amniotes) form their skin barrier to the environment under the control of a gene cluster, termed the epidermal differentiation complex (edc). here we identified edc genes in the genome of the tuatara and compared them to those of other amniotes. t ...202032732894
bite force data suggests relationship between acrodont tooth implantation and strong bite force.extant and extinct reptiles exhibit numerous combinations of tooth implantation and attachment. tooth implantation ranges from those possessing roots and lying within a socket (thecodonty), to teeth lying against the lingual wall of the jawbone (pleurodonty), to teeth without roots or sockets that are attached to the apex of the marginal jawbones (acrodonty). attachment may be ligamentous (gomphosis) or via fusion (ankylosis). generally speaking, adaptative reasonings are proposed as an underlyi ...202032656000
general and specific microscopic characteristics of the dorsal tail scales and the spines of the crest in the tuatara sphenodon pucntatus (reptilia; rhynchocephalia; sphenodontidae).dorsal crest scales and those of the tail spines of the tuatara (sphenodon punctatus) represent different specializations involved in display and protection. erection of the dorsal crest occurs in males during combat and courtship, but tail spines are not noticeably involved in these activities. in both scale derivatives corneous beta proteins (cbps, formerly called beta-keratins) and intermediate filaments keratins (ifks) were determined by immunolabelling. the dermis is dense with few sparse f ...202032569859
evolution: herbivore-type teeth in a cretaceous tuatara relative.in a new study, leblanc and co-workers have discovered an unusually complex dentition in a fossil relative of the modern-day tuatara that features compound occlusal surfaces, thick and prismatic enamel, and a novel enamel-to-bone tooth attachment. this finding suggests that complex dentitions arose independently in several reptilian lineages.202032369750
unique tooth morphology and prismatic enamel in late cretaceous sphenodontians from argentina.mammals and reptiles have evolved divergent adaptations for processing abrasive foods. mammals have occluding, diphyodont dentitions with taller teeth (hypsodonty), more complex occlusal surfaces, continuous tooth eruption, and forms of prismatic enamel that prolong the functional life of each tooth [1, 2]. the evolution of prismatic enamel in particular was a key innovation that made individual teeth more resilient to abrasion in early mammals [2-4]. in contrast, reptiles typically have thin, n ...202032220319
a tiny new middle triassic stem-lepidosauromorph from germany: implications for the early evolution of lepidosauromorphs and the vellberg fauna.the middle triassic was a time of major changes in tetrapod faunas worldwide, but the fossil record for this interval is largely obscure for terrestrial faunas. this poses a severe limitation to our understanding on the earliest stages of diversification of lineages representing some of the most diverse faunas in the world today, such as lepidosauromorphs (e.g., lizards and tuataras). here, we report a tiny new lepidosauromorph from the middle triassic from vellberg (germany), which combines a m ...202032080209
reptiles as a model system to study heart development.a chambered heart is common to all vertebrates, but reptiles show unparalleled variation in ventricular septation, ranging from almost absent in tuataras to full in crocodilians. because mammals and birds evolved independently from reptile lineages, studies on reptile development may yield insight into the evolution and development of the full ventricular septum. compared with reptiles, mammals and birds have evolved several other adaptations, including compact chamber walls and a specialized co ...202031712265
lepidosaur ß-keratin chains with four 34-residue repeats: modelling reveals a potential filament-crosslinking role.ß-keratin chains contain a characteristic and homologous 34-residue sequence, which is believed to adopt a twisted ß-sheet conformation that assembles in an antiparallel manner with a similar sheet in a second chain to form a ß-sandwich. these sandwiches are, in turn, related to one another by a left-handed four-fold screw axis to generate a helical structure that forms the core of the 3.4 nm diameter filaments observed by electron microscopy and deduced from x-ray fibre diffraction. recently, i ...202031698074
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