Researchers have discovered that the tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus), lizard-like reptiles endemic to New Zealand and the only living member of the reptilian order Rhynchocephalia, possess two deeply divergent co-existing mitochondrial genomes, giving the cold-tolerant reptile an adaptive advantage to harsher weather conditions that other reptiles. Whole Tuatara Genome Sequence Completed The Tuatara Of New Zealand … Continue reading Tuatara’s Two Sets Of Mitochondrial Genome May Help It Withstand Cold Temperatures Better