| a molecular link between the bats of new zealand and south america. | along with the kiwis (apteryx), tuatara (sphenodon) and leiopelmatid frogs, the now rare lesser short-tailed bat (mystacina tuberculata), one of only two species in the endemic family mystacinidae, has long been viewed as one of new zealand's archaic, mystery vertebrates, and has presented taxonomists with a major puzzle since its first description in 1843 (ref. 3). we report here the results of immunological comparisons involving the albumin and transferrin of mystacina which indicate that its ... | 1986 | 3092108 |
| primary structure of the hemoglobins from sphenodon (sphenodon punctatus, tuatara, rynchocephalia). evidence for the expression of alpha d-gene. | sphenodon is the sole representative of the "beakhead" reptiles which were widely distributed during the triassic period before the spectacular rise of dinosaurs. sphenodon punctatus is the only survivor ("living fossil") of this period. the morphological features of sphenodon are remarkably conservative and differ little from reptiles living 200 million years ago. in the present paper the determination of the primary structure of the tetrameric hemoglobins is described: three components are ide ... | 1988 | 3214555 |
| seasonal changes in plasma sex steroid levels in the male tuatara, sphenodon punctatus, from stephens island, new zealand. | a unique opportunity, occasioned by the sacrifice of five male tuataras (sphenodon punctatus), was taken to measure the circulating levels of a number of sex steroids, and other parameters, at different seasons throughout the year on stephens island, new zealand. male tuataras exhibit continuous spermatocytogenesis throughout the year (h. saint girons and d. g. newman, 1987, n.z.j.zool. 14,231-237) but levels of sex steroids showed significant seasonal variation nonetheless, with testosterone co ... | 1988 | 3417121 |
| immune response of the tuatara, sphenodon punctatum. | | 1969 | 4183823 |
| plasma concentrations of vitellogenin and sex steroids in female tuatara (sphenodon punctatus punctatus) from northern new zealand. | vitellogenesis in tuatara (sphenodon punctatus) on stephens island, new zealand, at the southern (coolest) end of the geographical range of this species involves a prolonged period of about 3 years of the average 4-year reproductive cycle. these studies used a semiquantitative electrophoretic assay for vitellogenin (vg). in the present study an elisa was used to measure plasma levels of vg in 138 female northern tuatara (s.p. punctatus) on 11 islands at the warmest end of the tuatara's range. bl ... | 1994 | 7958750 |
| evolution of the wancy region in amniote mitochondrial dna. | in most vertebrate mitochondrial genomes, the site for initiation of light-strand replication, ol, is found within a cluster of five transfer rna (trna) genes (trna(trp), trna(ala), trna(asn), trna(cys), and trna(tyr)). this region and part of the adjacent cytochrome c oxydase subunit i (coi) gene were sequenced for two crocodilian, two turtle, and one snake species and for sphenodon punctatus; part of the adjacent nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dehydrogenase subunit 2 (nd2) gene was also seq ... | 1994 | 8015429 |
| complete mitochondrial genome suggests diapsid affinities of turtles. | despite more than a century of debate, the evolutionary position of turtles (testudines) relative to other amniotes (reptiles, birds, and mammals) remains uncertain. one of the major impediments to resolving this important evolutionary problem is the highly distinctive and enigmatic morphology of turtles that led to their traditional placement apart from diapsid reptiles as sole descendants of presumably primitive anapsid reptiles. to address this question, the complete (16,787-bp) mitochondrial ... | 1998 | 9826682 |
| physiological effects of a fish oil supplement on captive juvenile tuatara (sphenodon punctatus). | tuatara (sphenodon, order sphenodontia) are rare new zealand reptiles whose conservation involves captive breeding. wild tuatara eat seabirds, which contain high levels of the long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (pufas) eicosapentaenoic acid (epa) and docosahexaenoic acid (dha). these fatty acids are absent from the captive diet, and consequently, plasma fatty acid composition of wild and captive tuatara differs. this study investigated the effects of incorporating epa and dha into the di ... | 2000 | 10801396 |
| the primary structure of hemoglobin d from the aldabra giant tortoise, geochelone gigantea. | the complete primary structures of alpha d-2- and beta-globin of hemoglobin d (hb d) from the aldabra giant tortoise, geochelone gigantea, have been constructed by amino acid sequencing analysis in assistance with nucleotide sequencing analysis of pcr fragments amplified using degenerate oligonucleotide primers. using computer-assisted sequence comparisons, the alpha d-2-globin shared a 92.0% sequence identity versus alpha d-globin of geochelone carbonaria, a 75.2% versus alpha d-globin of aves ... | 2002 | 12012783 |
| observations on the histochemistry and ultrastructure of the epidermis of the tuatara, sphenodon punctatus (sphenodontida, lepidosauria, reptilia): a contribution to an understanding of the lepidosaurian epidermal generation and the evolutionary origin of the squamate shedding complex. | histochemical and tem analysis of the epidermis of sphenodon punctatus confirms previous histological studies showing that skin-shedding in this relic species involves the periodic production and loss of epidermal generations, as has been well documented in the related squamata. the generations are basically similar to those that have been described in the latter, and their formation involves a cyclic alternation between beta- and alpha-keratogenesis. the six differences from the previously desc ... | 2003 | 12635105 |
| observations on the histochemistry and ultrastructure of regenerating caudal epidermis of the tuatara sphenodon punctatus (sphenodontida, lepidosauria, reptilia). | study of the histology, histochemistry, and fine structure of caudal epidermal regeneration in sphenodon punctatus through restoration of a scaled form reveals that the processes involved resemble those known in lizards. following establishment of a wound epithelium (we), subjacent scale neogenesis involves epidermal downgrowths into the dermis. although the process is extremely slow, and most new scales do not overlap, their epidermal coverings reestablish epidermal generation (eg) formation. a ... | 2003 | 12635106 |
| low genetic divergence obscures phylogeny among populations of sphenodon, remnant of an ancient reptile lineage. | tuatara (two species of sphenodon) are the last representatives of a branch of an ancient reptilian lineage, sphenodontia, that have been isolated on the new zealand landmass for 82 million years. we present analyses of geographic variation in allozymes, mitochondrial dna, nuclear dna sequences, and one-way albumin immunological comparisons. these all confirm a surprisingly low level of genetic diversity within sphenodon for such an ancient lineage. we hypothesise a recent extended population bo ... | 2003 | 12967603 |
| an enigmatic eye: the histology of the tuatara pineal complex. | to examine the histology of the tuatara pineal complex and to compare findings with those of dendy. some reptiles have an anatomically sophisticated pineal complex with a median pineal eye, a paraphysis and a pineal sac. in comparison, the human pineal gland is simple and homogenous and thought to be a phylogenetic relic. it is now considered a neuroendocrine gland the function of which is still not fully understood. its simple anatomical structure is in contrast to its biochemical complexity; i ... | 2004 | 15633271 |
| sauria sines: novel short interspersed retroposable elements that are widespread in reptile genomes. | sines are short interspersed retrotransposable elements that invade new genomic sites. their retrotransposition depends on reverse transcriptase and endonuclease activities encoded by partner lines (long interspersed elements). recent genomic research has demonstrated that retroposons account for at least 40% of the human genome. hitherto, more than 30 families of sines have been characterized in mammalian genomes, comprising approximately 4600 extant species; the distribution and extent of sine ... | 2006 | 16612539 |
| immunological characterization and fine localization of a lizard beta-keratin. | scales of lizards contain beta-keratin of poorly known composition. in the present study, a rat polyclonal serum against a lizard beta-keratin of 14-15 kda has been produced and the relative protein has been immunolocalized in the epidermis. the observations for the first time show that the isolated protein band derives from the extraction of a protein component of the beta-keratin filaments of lizard epidermis. in immunoblots and immunocytochemistry, the antiserum recognizes most lizard beta-ke ... | 2006 | 16615104 |
| distribution and characterization of keratins in the epidermis of the tuatara (sphenodon punctatus; lepidosauria, reptilia). | reptilian scales are mainly composed of alpha-and beta-keratins. epidermis and molts from adult individuals of an ancient reptilian species, the tuatara (sphenodon punctatus), were analysed by immunocytochemistry, mono- and bi-dimensional electrophoresis, and western blotting for alpha- and beta-keratins. the epidermis of this reptilian species with primitive anatomical traits should represent one of the more ancient amniotic epidermises available. soft keratins (ae1- and ae3-positive) of 40-63 ... | 2006 | 17043402 |
| tuatara (sphenodon) genomics: bac library construction, sequence survey, and application to the dmrt gene family. | the tuatara (sphenodon punctatus) is of "extraordinary biological interest" as the most distinctive surviving reptilian lineage (rhyncocephalia) in the world. to provide a genomic resource for an understanding of genome evolution in reptiles, and as part of a larger project to produce genomic resources for various reptiles (evogen.jgi.doe.gov/second_levels/bacs/our_libraries.html), a large-insert bacterial artificial chromosome (bac) library from a male tuatara was constructed. the library consi ... | 2006 | 17135461 |
| health screening for a translocation of captive-reared tuatara (sphenodon punctatus) to an island refuge. | to screen tuatara undergoing translocation from a captive crèche to an island refuge for evidence of health and known diseases, and apply basic epidemiological techniques to assess the significance of disease test results. | 2006 | 17151736 |
| phylogenomic investigation of cr1 line diversity in reptiles. | it is unlikely that taxonomically diverse phylogenetic studies will be completed rapidly in the near future for nonmodel organisms on a whole-genome basis. however, one approach to advancing the field of "phylogenomics" is to estimate the structure of poorly known genomes by mining libraries of clones from suites of taxa, rather than from single species. the present analysis adopts this approach by taking advantage of megabase-scale end-sequence scanning of reptilian genomic clones to characteri ... | 2006 | 17345672 |
| species and cultural conservation in new zealand: maori traditional ecological knowledge of tuatara. | traditional ecological knowledge can be highly informative and integrated with complementary scientific knowledge to improve species management. this is especially true for abundant species with which indigenous peoples have frequent interactions (e.g., through harvest), but has been studied less frequently in isolated or declining species. we examined maori traditional ecological knowledge of tuatara (sphenodon spp., reptiles that resemble lizards but are the last living representatives of the ... | 2007 | 17391195 |
| lungfish albumin is more similar to tetrapod than to teleost albumins: purification and characterisation of albumin from the australian lungfish, neoceratodus forsteri. | lobe-finned fish, particularly lungfish, are thought of as the closest extant relatives to tetrapods. albumin, the major vertebrate plasma protein, has been well studied in tetrapods, but there exists no comparative study of the presence and characteristics of albumin in lobe-finned fish versus other vertebrates. there is a controversy over the presence of albumin in fish, although it is present in salmonids and lamprey. the presence of albumin in lungfish has also recently been documented. we i ... | 2007 | 17409005 |
| failure to detect salmonella species in a population of wild tuatara (sphenodon punctatus). | to assess the prevalence of faecal excretion of salmonella serovars by wild tuatara (sphenodon punctatus) on stephens island, new zealand. | 2007 | 17534416 |
| responses of tuatara (sphenodon punctatus) to removal of introduced pacific rats from islands. | invasive mammalian predators such as rats are now widespread on islands, but hypotheses about their effects have rarely been tested. circumstantial evidence from new zealand indicates that, when introduced to islands, pacific rats (rattus exulans) have negative effects on endemic plants, invertebrates, birds, and reptiles, including the tuatara (sphenodon punctatus). we tested the effects of pacific rats on tuatara by comparing the demographic structure and body condition of tuatara populations ... | 2007 | 17650252 |
| two patterns of variation among mhc class i loci in tuatara (sphenodon punctatus). | the genes of the major histocompatibility complex (mhc) are a central component of the immune system in vertebrates and have become important markers of functional, fitness-related genetic variation. we have investigated the evolutionary processes that generate diversity at mhc class i genes in a large population of an archaic reptile species, the tuatara (sphenodon punctatus), found on stephens island, cook strait, new zealand. we identified at least 2 highly polymorphic (ua type) loci and one ... | 2007 | 18032462 |
| seasonal and spatial dynamics of ectoparasite infestation of a threatened reptile, the tuatara (sphenodon punctatus). | the conservation of threatened vertebrate species and their threatened parasites requires an understanding of the factors influencing their distribution and dynamics. this is particularly important for species maintained in conservation reserves at high densities, where increased contact among hosts could lead to increased rates of parasitism. the tuatara (sphenodon punctatus) (reptilia: sphenodontia) is a threatened reptile that persists at high densities in forests (approximately 2700 tuatara/ ... | 2008 | 19120965 |
| composition of the cloacal gland secretion of tuatara, sphenodon punctatus. | the lipophilic content of the cloacal gland secretion of the tuatara (sphenodon punctatus) was investigated. gc/ei-ms analysis of ch2cl2 extracts of the secretions revealed triacylglycerols as major glandular constituents. twelve major medium-chain fatty acids were found to be conjugated to glycerol in different combinations, resulting in complex mixtures. these acids were identified by transesterification and subsequent derivatization of natural samples, and their structures were verified by sy ... | 2009 | 19180453 |
| unravelling causality from correlations: revealing the impacts of endemic ectoparasites on a protected species (tuatara). | understanding the impacts of endemic parasites on protected hosts is an essential element of conservation management. however, where manipulative experiments are unethical, causality cannot be inferred from observational correlative studies. instead, we used an experimental structure to explore temporal associations between body condition of a protected reptile, the tuatara (sphenodon punctatus) and infestation with ectoparasites (ticks and mites). we surveyed tuatara in a mark-recapture study o ... | 2010 | 19835646 |
| a cold-adapted reptile becomes a more effective thermoregulator in a thermally challenging environment. | thermoregulation is of great importance for the survival and fitness of ectotherms as physiological functions are optimized within a narrow range of body temperature (t(b)). the precision with which reptiles thermoregulate has been proposed to be related to the thermal quality of their environments. although a number of studies have looked at the effect of thermal constraints imposed by diel, seasonal and altitudinal variation on thermoregulatory strategies, few have addressed this question in a ... | 2010 | 20140685 |
| the first cytogenetic map of the tuatara, sphenodon punctatus. | tuatara, sphenodon punctatus, is the last survivor of the distinctive reptilian order rhynchocephalia and is a species of extraordinary zoological interest, yet only recently have genomic analyses been undertaken. the karyotype consists of 28 macrochromosomes and 8 microchromosomes. a bacterial artificial chromosome (bac) library constructed for this species has allowed the first characterization of the tuatara genome. sequence analysis of 11 fully sequenced bac clones (approximately 0.03% cover ... | 2010 | 20299781 |
| endangered species hold clues to human evolution. | we report that 18 conserved, and by extension functional, elements in the human genome are the result of retroposon insertions that are evolving under purifying selection in mammals. we show evidence that 1 of the 18 elements regulates the expression of asxl3 during development by encoding an alternatively spliced exon that causes nonsense-mediated decay of the transcript. the retroposon that gave rise to these functional elements was quickly inactivated in the mammalian ancestor, and all traces ... | 2010 | 20332163 |
| developmental stages and molecular phylogeny of hepatozoon tuatarae, a parasite infecting the new zealand tuatara, sphenodon punctatus and the tick, amblyomma sphenodonti. | the developmental stages of hepatozoon tuatarae were elucidated in both the tuatara host, sphenodon punctatus and the tick, amblyomma sphenodonti. pcr amplicons from a. sphenodonti samples identified dna matching h. tuatarae. dissection of tick samples showed oogenesis and sporogony occurring in the haemocoel of a. sphenodonti with the average mature oocyst size being 236 x 228 microm. partial sequence data of the parasite's small subunit ribosomal gene, obtained by pcr, was used for phylogeneti ... | 2010 | 20451526 |
| social network structure and parasite infection patterns in a territorial reptile, the tuatara (sphenodon punctatus). | we investigated whether the parasite load of an individual could be predicted by its position in a social network. specifically, we derived social networks in a solitary, territorial reptile (the tuatara, sphenodon punctatus), with links based on the sharing of space, not necessarily synchronously, in overlapping territories. tuatara are infected by ectoparasitic ticks (amblyomma sphenodonti), mites (neotrombicula spp.) and a blood parasite (hepatozoon tuatarae) which is transmitted by the tick. ... | 2010 | 20637210 |
| ecology and dynamics of the blood parasite, hepatozoon tuatarae (apicomplexa), in tuatara (sphenodon punctatus) on stephens island, new zealand. | we explored infection patterns and temporal dynamics of the protozoan blood parasite hepatozoon tuatarae (apicomplexa) infecting the tuatara (sphenodon punctatus), a protected reptile living on stephens island, new zealand. in march 2006, we surveyed tuatara in five study sites to examine spatial variation in infection prevalence, and four times, from may 2005 to november 2006, we recaptured marked individuals within three study sites to examine the temporal dynamics of infection. we also examin ... | 2011 | 21270002 |
| three tiers of genome evolution in reptiles. | characterization of reptilian genomes is essential for understanding the overall diversity and evolution of amniote genomes, because reptiles, which include birds, constitute a major fraction of the amniote evolutionary tree. to better understand the evolution and diversity of genomic characteristics in reptilia, we conducted comparative analyses of online sequence data from alligator mississippiensis (alligator) and sphenodon punctatus (tuatara) as well as genome size and karyological data from ... | 2008 | 21669810 |
| [prehistoric eyes: ophthalmosaurus and the tuatara]. | | 2012 | 23623026 |
| electrocardiographic observations on the tuatara, sphenodon punctatus. | | 2015 | 4400097 |
| cytology of the neuro-intermediate lobe of the tuatara, sphenodon punctatus gray. | | 2008 | 4327536 |
| antimicrobial peptides in reptiles. | reptiles are among the oldest known amniotes and are highly diverse in their morphology and ecological niches. these animals have an evolutionarily ancient innate-immune system that is of great interest to scientists trying to identify new and useful antimicrobial peptides. significant work in the last decade in the fields of biochemistry, proteomics and genomics has begun to reveal the complexity of reptilian antimicrobial peptides. here, the current knowledge about antimicrobial peptides in re ... | 2014 | 24918867 |
| tuataras and salamanders show that walking and running mechanics are ancient features of tetrapod locomotion. | the lumbering locomotor behaviours of tuataras and salamanders are the best examples of quadrupedal locomotion of early terrestrial vertebrates. we show they use the same walking (out-of-phase) and running (in-phase) patterns of external mechanical energy fluctuations of the centre-of-mass known in fast moving (cursorial) animals. thus, walking and running centre-of-mass mechanics have been a feature of tetrapods since quadrupedal locomotion emerged over 400 million years ago. when walking, thes ... | 0 | 16777753 |
| molecular characterization of reptile pathogens currently known as members of the chrysosporium anamorph of nannizziopsis vriesii complex and relationship with some human-associated isolates. | in recent years, the chrysosporium anamorph of nannizziopsis vriesii (canv), chrysosporium guarroi, chrysosporium ophiodiicola, and chrysosporium species have been reported as the causes of dermal or deep lesions in reptiles. these infections are contagious and often fatal and affect both captive and wild animals. forty-nine canv isolates from reptiles and six isolates from human sources were compared with n. vriesii based on their cultural characteristics and dna sequence data. analyses of the ... | 2013 | 23926168 |
| presence of antibodies to salmonella in tuatara (sphenodon punctatus) sera. | colonisation of a host by pathogenic microorganisms is a near constant threat to the health of all vertebrates and most species have evolved an efficient adaptive immune response which produces antibodies following exposure to a specific antigen. the strength of this response can be influenced by many factors including sex and season. tuatara are exposed to salmonella through contact with infected skinks and soil; however, no gastrointestinal colonisation of tuatara with salmonella has been foun ... | 2015 | 26264523 |
| prevalence of klebsiella oxytoca in anolis carolensis of louisiana. | klebsiella oxytoca is a gram-negative bacterium that can be found throughout the environment as well as on mucosal membranes of mammals including humans. this bacterium is responsible for a variety of infections in humans including nosocomial infections resulting in hospital outbreaks. reptiles including snakes, tuataras, and turtles have been shown to harbor this bacterium, and previous studies have shown that pet reptiles are a potential source for dissemination of pathogenic bacteria. green a ... | 2016 | 27779443 |
| new resources inform study of genome size, content, and organization in nonavian reptiles. | genomic resources for studies of nonavian reptiles have recently improved and will reach a new level of access once the genomes of the painted turtle (chrysemys picta) and the green anole (anolis carolinensis) have been published. eleven speakers gathered for a symposium on reptilian genomics and evolutionary genetics at the 2008 meeting of the society for integrative and comparative biology in san antonio, texas. presentations described results of reptilian genetic studies concerning molecular ... | 2008 | 21669805 |
| patterns of metabolism in embryonic reptiles. | vo2 of eggs of the turtle emydura macquarii, the crocodilian alligator mississipiensis, and the tuatara sphenodon punctatus, were measured throughout incubation. e. macquarii and a. mississipiensis, species in which hatching synchrony may be important, show a decline in vo2 prior to hatching ('peaked' pattern). this is similar to the pattern shown by ratite birds, where the decline period may be variable and facilitates hatching synchrony. the same interpretation is used here for reptiles. hatch ... | 1989 | 2749027 |
| ticks imported to europe with exotic reptiles. | it is known that traded exotic animals carry with them an immense number of associated symbionts, including parasites. reptiles are no exception. most of the imported reptiles originate from tropical countries and their possibility to carry potentially dangerous pathogens is high. according to cites, europe is currently the main reptile importer in the world. despite this, there is no review or analysis available for the risk related to the importation of tick-borne diseases with traded reptile ... | 2015 | 25913453 |
| deleterious mutations of a claw keratin in multiple taxa of reptiles. | we have recently shown that homologs of mammalian hair keratins are expressed in the claws of the green anole lizard, anolis carolinensis. to test whether reptilian hair keratin homologs are functionally associated with claws, we investigated the conservation of the prototypical reptilian hair keratin homolog, hard acidic keratin 1 (ha1), in representative species from all main clades of reptiles. a complete cdna of ha1 was cloned from the claw-forming epidermis of the lacertid lizard podarcis s ... | 2011 | 21181402 |
| a novel hypothesis for the adaptive maintenance of environmental sex determination in a turtle. | temperature-dependent sex determination (tsd) is widespread in reptiles, yet its adaptive significance and mechanisms for its maintenance remain obscure and controversial. comparative analyses identify an ancient origin of tsd in turtles, crocodiles and tuatara, suggesting that this trait should be advantageous in order to persist. based on this assumption, researchers primarily, and with minimal success, have employed a model to examine sex-specific variation in hatchling phenotypes and fitness ... | 2014 | 25009063 |
| intra-genomic gc heterogeneity in sauropsids: evolutionary insights from cdna mapping and gc(3) profiling in snake. | extant sauropsids (reptiles and birds) are divided into two major lineages, the lineage of testudines (turtles) and archosauria (crocodilians and birds) and the lineage of lepidosauria (tuatara, lizards, worm lizards and snakes). karyotypes of these sauropsidan groups generally consist of macrochromosomes and microchromosomes. in chicken, microchromosomes exhibit a higher gc-content than macrochromosomes. to examine the pattern of intra-genomic gc heterogeneity in lepidosaurian genomes, we const ... | 2012 | 23140509 |
| considering extinction of dependent species during translocation, ex situ conservation, and assisted migration of threatened hosts. | translocation, introduction, reintroduction, and assisted migrations are species conservation strategies that are attracting increasing attention, especially in the face of climate change. however, preventing the extinction of the suite of dependent species whose host species are threatened is seldom considered, and the effects on dependent species of moving threatened hosts are unclear. there is no published guidance on how to decide whether to move species, given this uncertainty. we examined ... | 2012 | 22443127 |
| segregating variation for temperature-dependent sex determination in a lizard. | temperature-dependent sex determination (tsd) was first reported in 1966 in an african lizard. it has since been shown that tsd occurs in some fish, several lizards, tuataras, numerous turtles and all crocodilians. extreme temperatures can also cause sex reversal in several amphibians and lizards with genotypic sex determination. research in tsd species indicates that estrogen signaling is important for ovary development and that orthologs of mammalian genes have a function in gonad differentiat ... | 2011 | 20700140 |
| using genes as characters and a parsimony analysis to explore the phylogenetic position of turtles. | the phylogenetic position of turtles within the vertebrate tree of life remains controversial. conflicting conclusions from different studies are likely a consequence of systematic error in the tree construction process, rather than random error from small amounts of data. using genomic data, we evaluate the phylogenetic position of turtles with both conventional concatenated data analysis and a "genes as characters" approach. two datasets were constructed, one with seven species (human, opossum ... | 2013 | 24278129 |
| de novo sequence assembly and characterisation of a partial transcriptome for an evolutionarily distinct reptile, the tuatara (sphenodon punctatus). | the tuatara (sphenodon punctatus) is a species of extraordinary zoological interest, being the only surviving member of an entire order of reptiles which diverged early in amniote evolution. in addition to their unique phylogenetic placement, many aspects of tuatara biology, including temperature-dependent sex determination, cold adaptation and extreme longevity have the potential to inform studies of genome evolution and development. despite increasing interest in the tuatara genome, genomic re ... | 2012 | 22938396 |
| interspecies differences in plasma concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin d3 and dermal vitamin d synthesis of kiwi (apteryx mantelli), tuatara (sphenodon punctatus), and new zealand sea lions (phocarctos hookeri). | vitamin d plays a central role in calcium homeostasis of most vertebrates, and is obtained in different species through diet, dermal synthesis, or a combination of both. the aim of this study was to determine the predominant routes of vitamin d synthesis in three disparate species, brown kiwi (apteryx mantelli), tuatara (sphenodon punctatus), and new zealand sea lions (phocarctos hookeri). we surveyed plasma concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin d2 and d3, analysed environmental conditions and lif ... | 2017 | 28755031 |
| investigation of mortalities associated with salmonella spp. infection in wildlife on tiritiri matangi island in the hauraki gulf of new zealand. | salmonellosis was suspected as the cause of death in eight wild animals on tiritiri matangi island, in the hauraki gulf of new zealand, between november and september 2011, including three hihi (notiomystis cincta), a tuatara (sphenodon punctatus), a masked lapwing (vanellus miles novaehollandiae), and a saddleback (philesturnus carunculatus). an outbreak investigation to identify the source and distribution of infection was undertaken over the summer of 2011-2012. | 2015 | 25482376 |
| reptile reservoirs and seasonal variation in the environmental presence of salmonella in an island ecosystem, stephens island, new zealand. | a wide variety of salmonella serotypes occurs within reptilian hosts, but their ecology is poorly understood. we collected cloacal swabs from tuatara (sphenodon punctatus), fairy prions (pachyptila turtur), and skinks (oligosoma spp.) on stephens island, new zealand, to screen for salmonella. soil samples were also collected from inside burrows of tuatara and fairy prions and tested for salmonella. we sampled repeatedly from october 2009 to october 2011. cloacal swabs were collected from 620 tua ... | 2014 | 24807185 |
| investigating kleptothermy: a reptile-seabird association with thermal benefits. | studies on interspecific interactions between vertebrates based on thermal benefits are poorly represented in the literature. ecologists know little about a category of thermoregulation termed kleptothermy. we provide evidence that a close association between a medium-sized reptile (tuatara, sphenodon punctatus) and a small seabird (fairy prion, pachyptila turtur) enables the reptile to maintain higher-than-average body temperatures. this is the first multiyear data set to reveal that the presen ... | 2014 | 24642539 |
| burrowing seabirds and reptiles: impacts on seeds, seedlings and soils in an island forest in new zealand. | stephens island (cook strait, new zealand) is home to large populations of fairy prions (pachyptila turtur) and tuatara (sphenodon punctatus, an ancient reptile), which share burrows in the ground. it has been assumed that guano deposition by seabirds increases nutrient availability to plants, and that large populations of the carnivorous tuatara are the result of flow-through effects from plants to invertebrate herbivores. we examined the within-island scale effects of seabirds and tuatara on f ... | 2001 | 28547106 |
| transitional fossils and the origin of turtles. | the origin of turtles is one of the most contentious issues in systematics with three currently viable hypotheses: turtles as the extant sister to (i) the crocodile-bird clade, (ii) the lizard-tuatara clade, or (iii) diapsida (a clade composed of (i) and (ii)). we reanalysed a recent dataset that allied turtles with the lizard-tuatara clade and found that the inclusion of the stem turtle proganochelys quenstedti and the 'parareptile' eunotosaurus africanus results in a single overriding morpholo ... | 2010 | 20534602 |
| reptilian transcriptomes v2.0: an extensive resource for sauropsida genomics and transcriptomics. | despite the availability of deep-sequencing techniques, genomic and transcriptomic data remain unevenly distributed across phylogenetic groups. for example, reptiles are poorly represented in sequence databases, hindering functional evolutionary and developmental studies in these lineages substantially more diverse than mammals. in addition, different studies use different assembly and annotation protocols, inhibiting meaningful comparisons. here, we present the "reptilian transcriptomes databas ... | 2015 | 26133641 |
| developmental and evolutionary origins of the amniote phallus. | an intromittent phallus is used for sperm transfer in most amniote taxa; however, there is extensive variation in external genital morphology within and among the major amniote clades. amniote phalluses vary in number (paired, single, or rudimentary), spermatic canal morphology (closed tube or open sulcus), and mode of transition between resting and tumescent states (inflation, rotation, eversion, or muscle relaxation). in a phylogenetic context, these varying adult anatomies preclude a clear in ... | 2016 | 27549197 |
| erythropoiesis in peripheral blood of tuatara (sphenodon punctatus) and turtle (malaclemys terrapin). | | 1970 | 5415434 |
| unusual change in activity pattern at cool temperature in a reptile (sphenodon punctatus). | animals that can be active both during day and night offer unique opportunities to identify factors that influence activity pattern. by experimental manipulations of temperatures under constant photoperiod, we aimed to determine if emergence, activity and thermoregulatory behaviour of juvenile tuatara (sphenodon punctatus) varied at different temperatures (20°c, 12°c and 5°c). to help clarify its activity pattern, we compared tuatara with two lizard species endemic of the south island of new zea ... | 2014 | 24802147 |
| dermatomycosis caused by paranannizziopsis australasiensis in five tuatara (sphenodon punctatus) and a coastal bearded dragon (pogona barbata) in a zoological collection in new zealand. | health monitoring of tuatara (sphenodon punctatus) at auckland zoo between 2001 and 2009 showed that 58/93 tuatara had been affected by dermatitis of unknown origin. from 2011 onwards, cases of suspected fungal dermatitis underwent extensive diagnostic investigations. | 2016 | 27074995 |
| predicting the fate of a living fossil: how will global warming affect sex determination and hatching phenology in tuatara? | how will climate change affect species' reproduction and subsequent survival? in many egg-laying reptiles, the sex of offspring is determined by the temperature experienced during a critical period of embryonic development (temperature-dependent sex determination, tsd). increasing air temperatures are likely to skew offspring sex ratios in the absence of evolutionary or plastic adaptation, hence we urgently require means for predicting the future distributions of species with tsd. here we develo ... | 2008 | 18595840 |
| support for a rare pattern of temperature-dependent sex determination in archaic reptiles: evidence from two species of tuatara (sphenodon). | the sex of many reptiles is determined by the temperature an embryo experiences during its development. three patterns of temperature-dependent sex determination (tsd) have been defined, but one pattern where only males are produced above an upper temperature threshold (type ib) is controversial. here we report new data on the relationship between constant temperature incubation and sexual phenotype in two species of tuatara (sphenodon), archaic reptiles of enormous zoological significance as th ... | 2006 | 16808840 |
| temperature selection by juvenile tuatara (sphenodon punctatus) is not influenced by temperatures experienced as embryos. | most reptiles thermoregulate to achieve body temperatures needed for biological processes, such as digestion and growth. temperatures experienced during embryogenesis may also influence post-hatching growth rate, potentially through influencing post-hatching choice of temperatures. we investigated in laboratory settings whether embryonic temperatures (constant 18°c, 21°c and 22°c) influence selected body temperatures (tsel) of juvenile tuatara (sphenodon punctatus), providing a possible mechanis ... | 2017 | 29037392 |
| bite force in the horned frog (ceratophrys cranwelli) with implications for extinct giant frogs. | of the nearly 6,800 extant frog species, most have weak jaws that play only a minor role in prey capture. south american horned frogs (ceratophrys) are a notable exception. aggressive and able to consume vertebrates their own size, these "hopping heads" use a vice-like grip of their jaws to restrain and immobilize prey. using a longitudinal experimental design, we quantified the ontogenetic profile of bite-force performance in post-metamorphic ceratophrys cranwelli. regression slopes indicate po ... | 2017 | 28931936 |
| microanatomy and life history in palaeopleurosaurus (rhynchocephalia: pleurosauridae) from the early jurassic of germany. | the tuatara (sphenodon punctatus) from new zealand is often-erroneously-identified as a 'living fossil', although it is the lone survivor of a large, successful radiation of rhynchocephalia, sister taxon to squamates (lizards and snakes), that thrived through the mesozoic and cenozoic and experienced an intricate evolution of life histories and feeding habits. within rhynchocephalia, only pleurosauridae are thought to be marine and piscivorous. here, we present bone histological data of the jura ... | 2017 | 28005148 |
| sesamoid bones in tuatara (sphenodon punctatus) investigated with x-ray microtomography, and implications for sesamoid evolution in lepidosauria. | sesamoids bones are small intra-tendinous (or ligamentous) ossifications found near joints and are often variable between individuals. related bones, lunulae, are found within the menisci of certain joints. several studies have described sesamoids and lunulae in lizards and their close relatives (squamata) as potentially useful characters in phylogenetic analysis, but their status in the extant outgroup to squamata, tuatara (sphenodon), remains unclear. sphenodon is the only living rhynchocephal ... | 2017 | 27882577 |
| detection of paranannizziopsis australasiensis in tuatara (sphenodon punctatus) using fungal culture and a generic fungal pcr. | to describe the methods used at the animal health laboratory (ahl, ministry for primary industries) to identify paranannizziopsis australasiensis. | 2016 | 27079795 |
| evolution: one penis after all. | amniote penises come in many shapes but are missing from the basal tuatara. this has been taken as evidence for multiple evolutionary origins of the penis. now, genital swellings have been found in tuatara embryos, arguing for a single origin. | 2016 | 26766229 |
| anatomy, morphology and evolution of the patella in squamate lizards and tuatara (sphenodon punctatus). | the patella (kneecap) is the largest and best-known of the sesamoid bones, postulated to confer biomechanical advantages including increasing joint leverage and reinforcing the tendon against compression. it has evolved several times independently in amniotes, but despite apparently widespread occurrence in lizards, the patella remains poorly characterised in this group and is, as yet, completely undescribed in their nearest extant relative sphenodon (rhynchocephalia). through radiography, osteo ... | 2016 | 26740056 |
| glucocorticoids in tuatara (sphenodon punctatus): some influential factors, and applications in conservation management. | glucocorticoid (gc) hormones promote basic life processes, regulate life-history transitions, and help individuals cope with challenges and stressors, thereby playing an important fitness role. here, we review recent evidence for several factors that influence plasma concentrations of corticosterone (cort), the main gc in tuatara (sphenodon punctatus), and discuss the application of cort as a physiological tool to monitor conservation efforts. observational studies show an association between co ... | 2017 | 26673869 |
| resurrecting embryos of the tuatara, sphenodon punctatus, to resolve vertebrate phallus evolution. | the breadth of anatomical and functional diversity among amniote external genitalia has led to uncertainty about the evolutionary origins of the phallus. in several lineages, including the tuatara, sphenodon punctatus, adults lack an intromittent phallus, raising the possibility that the amniote ancestor lacked external genitalia and reproduced using cloacal apposition. accordingly, a phallus may have evolved multiple times in amniotes. however, similarities in development across amniote externa ... | 2015 | 26510679 |
| evolution of the hippocampus in reptiles and birds. | although the hippocampus is structurally quite different among reptiles, birds, and mammals, its function in spatial memory is said to be highly conserved. this is surprising, given that structural differences generally reflect functional differences. here i review this enigma in some detail, identifying several evolutionary changes in hippocampal cytoarchitecture and connectivity. i recognize a lepidosaurid pattern of hippocampal organization (in lizards, snakes, and the tuatara sphenodon) that ... | 2016 | 25982694 |
| major histocompatibility complex genes map to two chromosomes in an evolutionarily ancient reptile, the tuatara sphenodon punctatus. | major histocompatibility complex (mhc) genes are a central component of the vertebrate immune system and usually exist in a single genomic region. however, considerable differences in mhc organization and size exist between different vertebrate lineages. reptiles occupy a key evolutionary position for understanding how variation in mhc structure evolved in vertebrates, but information on the structure of the mhc region in reptiles is limited. in this study, we investigate the organization and cy ... | 2015 | 25953959 |
| distance-dependent patterns of molecular divergences in tuatara mitogenomes. | population genetic models predict that populations that are geographically close to each other are expected to be genetically more similar to each other compared to those that are widely separate. however the patterns of relationships between geographic distance and molecular divergences at neutral and constrained regions of the genome are unclear. we attempted to clarify this relationship by sequencing complete mitochondrial genomes of the relic species tuatara (sphenodon punctatus) from ten of ... | 2015 | 25731894 |
| moving house: long-term dynamics of corticosterone secretion are unaltered in translocated populations of a rare reptile (the tuatara, sphenodon punctatus). | translocations are an important conservation tool used to restore at-risk species to their historical range. unavoidable procedures during translocations, such as habitat disturbance, capture, handling, processing, captivity, transport and release to a novel environment, have the potential to be stressful for most species. in this study, we examined acute and chronic stress (through the measurement of the glucocorticoid corticosterone) in a rare reptile (the tuatara, sphenodon punctatus). we fou ... | 2015 | 27293699 |
| amino acid sequence homologies in the hard keratins of birds and reptiles, and their implications for molecular structure and physical properties. | avian and reptilian epidermal appendages such as feathers, claws and scales exhibit a filament-matrix texture. previous studies have established that both components reside within the same single-chain molecule. in the present study the homology in a wide range of aligned sequences is used to gain insights into the structure and function of the molecular segments associated with the filament and with the matrix. the notion that all molecules contain a β-rich 34-residue segment associated with th ... | 2014 | 25448888 |
| what was the ancestral sex-determining mechanism in amniote vertebrates? | amniote vertebrates, the group consisting of mammals and reptiles including birds, possess various mechanisms of sex determination. under environmental sex determination (esd), the sex of individuals depends on the environmental conditions occurring during their development and therefore there are no sexual differences present in their genotypes. alternatively, through the mode of genotypic sex determination (gsd), sex is determined by a sex-specific genotype, i.e. by the combination of sex chro ... | 2016 | 25424152 |
| micromechanical characterization of prismless enamel in the tuatara, sphenodon punctatus. | dental enamel - a naturally occurring biocomposite of mineral and protein - has evolved from a simple prismless to an advanced prismatic structure over millions of years. exploring the mechanical function of its structural features with differing characteristics is of great importance for evolutionary developmental studies as well as for material scientists seeking to model the mechanical performance of biological materials. in this study, mechanical properties of prismless tuatara sphenodon pun ... | 2014 | 25146675 |
| the youngest south american rhynchocephalian, a survivor of the k/pg extinction. | rhynchocephalian lepidosaurs, though once widespread worldwide, are represented today only by the tuatara (sphenodon) of new zealand. after their apparent early cretaceous extinction in laurasia, they survived in southern continents. in south america, they are represented by different lineages of late cretaceous eupropalinal forms until their disappearance by the cretaceous/palaeogene (k/pg) boundary. we describe here the only unambiguous palaeogene rhynchocephalian from south america; this new ... | 2014 | 25143041 |
| sex ratio bias and extinction risk in an isolated population of tuatara (sphenodon punctatus). | understanding the mechanisms underlying population declines is critical for preventing the extinction of endangered populations. positive feedbacks can hasten the process of collapse and create an 'extinction vortex,' particularly in small, isolated populations. we provide a case study of a male-biased sex ratio creating the conditions for extinction in a natural population of tuatara (sphenodon punctatus) on north brother island in the cook strait of new zealand. we combine data from long term ... | 2014 | 24714691 |
| modulation of corticosterone secretion in tuatara (sphenodon punctatus): evidence of a dampened stress response in gravid females. | baseline and stress response glucocorticoid (gc) secretion can be modulated by individuals to support activities and physiological functions connected with reproduction (migration, mating, oviposition and/or parturition, care of young). corticosterone (cort) is the primary gc in reptiles and, in accordance with other vertebrates, an adrenocortical stress response is observed. modulation of cort secretion occurs in several reptile species, such that elevated baseline cort concentration and/or a d ... | 2014 | 24713446 |
| understanding publication bias in reintroduction biology by assessing translocations of new zealand's herpetofauna. | the intentional translocation of animals is an important tool for species conservation and ecosystem restoration, but reported success rates are low, particularly for threatened and endangered species. publication bias further distorts success rates because the results of successful translocations may be more likely to be published than failed translocations. we conducted the first comprehensive review of all published and unpublished translocations of herpetofauna in new zealand to assess publi ... | 2014 | 24606604 |
| unidirectional pulmonary airflow patterns in the savannah monitor lizard. | the unidirectional airflow patterns in the lungs of birds have long been considered a unique and specialized trait associated with the oxygen demands of flying, their endothermic metabolism and unusual pulmonary architecture. however, the discovery of similar flow patterns in the lungs of crocodilians indicates that this character is probably ancestral for all archosaurs--the group that includes extant birds and crocodilians as well as their extinct relatives, such as pterosaurs and dinosaurs. u ... | 2014 | 24336209 |
| immunoreactivity to the pre-core box antibody shows that most glycine-rich beta-proteins accumulate in lepidosaurian beta-layer and in the corneous layer of crocodilian and turtle epidermis. | the differentiation of the corneous layers of reptilian epidermis has been analyzed by ultrastructural immunocytochemistry using specific antibodies against the conserved pre-core box region of their keratin-associated beta-proteins (kabetaps, formerly indicated as beta-keratins) and silver-intensification. the epitope analysis in the sequences of different reptilian kabetaps indicates that this antibody recognizes mainly glycine-rich beta-proteins in lizards and snakes. the immunoreactivity of ... | 2014 | 24246129 |
| complete mitochondrial genomes of tuatara endemic to different islands of new zealand. | tuatara are the sister taxon to the squamata (including lizards and snakes) and are regarded as the most distinctive surviving reptilian genus. they are currently inhabits on offshore islands around new zealand and have been recognized as a species in need of active conservation management. in this study, we report a total number of five nearly complete mitochondrial genomes, which were sequenced by sanger and next generation dna sequencing methods. our phylogenomic analysis revealed distinct cl ... | 2015 | 24156717 |
| how to decide whether to move species threatened by climate change. | introducing species to areas outside their historical range to secure their future under climate change is a controversial strategy for preventing extinction. while the debate over the wisdom of this strategy continues, such introductions are already taking place. previous frameworks for analysing the decision to introduce have lacked a quantifiable management objective and mathematically rigorous problem formulation. here we develop the first rigorous quantitative framework for deciding whether ... | 2013 | 24146778 |
| integration of molecules and new fossils supports a triassic origin for lepidosauria (lizards, snakes, and tuatara). | lepidosauria (lizards, snakes, tuatara) is a globally distributed and ecologically important group of over 9,000 reptile species. the earliest fossil records are currently restricted to the late triassic and often dated to 227 million years ago (mya). as these early records include taxa that are relatively derived in their morphology (e.g. brachyrhinodon), an earlier unknown history of lepidosauria is implied. however, molecular age estimates for lepidosauria have been problematic; dates for the ... | 2013 | 24063680 |
| granulocytes of reptilian sauropsids contain beta-defensin-like peptides: a comparative ultrastructural survey. | the ability of lizards to withstand infections after wounding or amputation of the tail or limbs has suggested the presence of antimicrobial peptides in their tissues. previous studies on the lizard anolis carolinensis have identified several beta-defensin-like peptides that may potentially be involved in protection from infections. the present ultrastructural immunocytochemical study has analyzed tissues in different reptilian species in order to localize the cellular source of one of the more ... | 2013 | 23553853 |
| global taxonomic diversity of living reptiles. | reptiles are one of the most ecologically and evolutionarily remarkable groups of living organisms, having successfully colonized most of the planet, including the oceans and some of the harshest and more environmentally unstable ecosystems on earth. here, based on a complete dataset of all the world's diversity of living reptiles, we analyse lineage taxonomic richness both within and among clades, at different levels of the phylogenetic hierarchy. we also analyse the historical tendencies in th ... | 2013 | 23544091 |
| reptiles. | most small children can tell you that 'reptiles' are the snakes, lizards, crocodiles, and turtles (perhaps with the dinosaurs thrown in) - suggesting that it's easy to tell the difference between reptiles and other animals. unfortunately, evolutionary biologists struggle with the same task, because phylogenetic analysis tells us loud and clear that these different types of what we loosely call 'reptiles' are not particularly closely related to each other (figure 1). on the evolutionary tree, som ... | 2013 | 23518049 |
| tuatara. | | 2012 | 23218010 |
| cornification in reptilian epidermis occurs through the deposition of keratin-associated beta-proteins (beta-keratins) onto a scaffold of intermediate filament keratins. | the isolation of genes for alpha-keratins and keratin-associated beta-proteins (formerly beta-keratins) has allowed the production of epitope-specific antibodies for localizing these proteins during the process of cornification epidermis of reptilian sauropsids. the antibodies are directed toward proteins in the alpha-keratin range (40-70 kda) or beta-protein range (10-30 kda) of most reptilian sauropsids. the ultrastructural immunogold study shows the localization of acidic alpha-proteins in su ... | 2013 | 23065677 |
| an inordinate fondness for eukaryotic diversity. | why do some groups of organisms, like beetles, have so many species, and others, like the tuataras, so few? this classic question in evolutionary biology has a deep history and has been studied using both fossils and phylogenetic trees. phylogeny-based studies have focused on tree balance, which compares the number of species across clades of the same age in the tree. these studies have suggested that rates of speciation and extinction vary tremendously across the tree of life. in this issue, ra ... | 2012 | 22952431 |
| tooth and cranial disparity in the fossil relatives of sphenodon (rhynchocephalia) dispute the persistent 'living fossil' label. | the tuatara (sphenodon punctatus) is the only living representative of rhynchocephalia, a group of small vertebrates that originated about 250 million years ago. the tuatara has been referred to as a living fossil; however, the group to which it belongs included a much greater diversity of forms in the mesozoic. we explore the morphological diversity of rhynchocephalia and stem lepidosaur relatives (sphenodon plus 13 fossil relatives) by employing a combination of geometric morphometrics and com ... | 2012 | 22905810 |
| phylogenomic analyses support the position of turtles as the sister group of birds and crocodiles (archosauria). | the morphological peculiarities of turtles have, for a long time, impeded their accurate placement in the phylogeny of amniotes. molecular data used to address this major evolutionary question have so far been limited to a handful of markers and/or taxa. these studies have supported conflicting topologies, positioning turtles as either the sister group to all other reptiles, to lepidosaurs (tuatara, lizards and snakes), to archosaurs (birds and crocodiles), or to crocodilians. genome-scale data ... | 2012 | 22839781 |
| securing the demographic and genetic future of tuatara through assisted colonization. | climate change poses a particular threat to species with fragmented distributions and little or no capacity to migrate. assisted colonization, moving species into regions where they have not previously occurred, aims to establish populations where they are expected to survive as climatic envelopes shift. however, adaptation to the source environment may affect whether species successfully establish in new regions. assisted colonization has spurred debate among conservation biologists and ecologi ... | 2012 | 22827440 |
| immunolocalization of keratin-associated beta-proteins (beta-keratins) in scales of the reptiles sphenodon punctatus indicates that different beta-proteins are present in beta- and alpha-layers. | the present ultrastructural immunocytochemical study analyzes the localization of keratin-associated beta-proteins (beta-keratins) in the epidermis of the ancient reptile sphenodon punctatus, a relict species adapted to mid-cold conditions. the epidermis comprises two main layers, indicated as beta- and alpha-keratin layers. the beta-layer contains small beta-proteins (beta-keratins) identified by using three different antibodies while the alpha-layer is poorly or not labeled for these proteins. ... | 2012 | 22817772 |