Definitions for Tuatara
ˌtu əˈtɑr ə; -ˈtɛər ətu·atara

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. tuatara, Sphenodon punctatumnoun

   only extant member of the order Rhynchocephalia of large spiny lizard-like diapsid reptiles of coastal islands off New Zealand

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. tuataranoun

   Either of two reptiles, Sphenodon punctatus or Sphenodon guntheri, native to New Zealand, that resemble lizards.

2. Etymology: From tuatara.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Tuatara

   Tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus) are reptiles endemic to New Zealand. Despite their close resemblance to lizards, they are part of a distinct lineage, the order Rhynchocephalia. The name tuatara is derived from the Māori language and means "peaks on the back". The single extant species of tuatara is the only surviving member of its order. Rhynchocephalians originated during the Triassic (~250 million years ago), reached worldwide distribution and peak diversity during the Jurassic and, with the exception of tuatara, were extinct by 60 million years ago. Their closest living relatives are squamates (lizards and snakes). For this reason, tuatara are of interest in the study of the evolution of lizards and snakes, and for the reconstruction of the appearance and habits of the earliest diapsids, a group of amniote tetrapods that also includes dinosaurs (including birds) and crocodilians. Tuatara are greenish brown and grey, and measure up to 80 cm (31 in) from head to tail-tip and weigh up to 1.3 kg (2.9 lb) with a spiny crest along the back, especially pronounced in males. They have two rows of teeth in the upper jaw overlapping one row on the lower jaw, which is unique among living species. They are able to hear, although no external ear is present, and have unique features in their skeleton, some of them apparently evolutionarily retained from fish. Tuatara are sometimes referred to as "living fossils", which has generated significant scientific debate. This term is currently deprecated among paleontologists and evolutionary biologists. Although tuatara have preserved the morphological characteristics of their Mesozoic ancestors (240–230 million years ago), there is no evidence of a continuous fossil record to support this. The species has between 5 and 6 billion base pairs of DNA sequence, nearly twice that of humans.The tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus) has been protected by law since 1895. A second species, the Brothers Island tuatara S. guntheri, (Buller, 1877), was recognised in 1989, but since 2009 it has been reclassified as a subspecies (S.p. guntheri). Tuatara, like many of New Zealand's native animals, are threatened by habitat loss and introduced predators, such as the Polynesian rat (Rattus exulans). Tuatara were extinct on the mainland, with the remaining populations confined to 32 offshore islands until the first North Island release into the heavily fenced and monitored Karori Wildlife Sanctuary (now named "Zealandia") in 2005.During routine maintenance work at Zealandia in late 2008, a tuatara nest was uncovered, with a hatchling found the following autumn. This is thought to be the first case of tuatara successfully breeding in the wild on New Zealand's North Island in over 200 years.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. tuatara

   A tuatara is a reptile species endemic to New Zealand. It is the only surviving member of the order Rhynchocephalia, which thrived about 200 million years ago. Despite resembling lizards, tuataras are part of a distinctly separate lineage. They possess several unique features, including a light-sensitive 'third eye' and the ability to live over a hundred years. Tuataras are often studied for their evolutionary significance.

WikidataRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Tuatara

   The tuatara is a reptile that is endemic to New Zealand which, though it resembles most lizards, is part of a distinct lineage, order Rhynchocephalia. The two species of tuatara are the only surviving members of its order, which flourished around 200 million years ago. Their most recent common ancestor with any other extant group is with the squamates. For this reason, tuatara are of great interest in the study of the evolution of lizards and snakes, and for the reconstruction of the appearance and habits of the earliest diapsids. Tuatara are greenish brown and gray, and measure up to 80 cm from head to tail-tip and weigh up to 1.3 kg with a spiny crest along the back, especially pronounced in males. Their dentition, in which two rows of teeth in the upper jaw overlap one row on the lower jaw, is unique among living species. They are further unusual in having a pronounced photoreceptive eye dubbed the "third eye", whose current function is a subject of ongoing research, but is thought to be involved in setting circadian and seasonal cycles. They are able to hear, although no external ear is present, and have a number of unique features in their skeleton, some of them apparently evolutionarily retained from fish. Although tuatara are sometimes called "living fossils", recent anatomical work has shown they have changed significantly since the Mesozoic era.

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1. tuatara

   Song lyrics by tuatara -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by tuatara on the Lyrics.com website.

Matched Categories

1. • Diapsid Reptile

How to pronounce Tuatara?

1. Alex

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   David

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   Mark

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   Daniel

   British

   Libby

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   Mia

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   Australian

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   Neerja

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How to say Tuatara in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of Tuatara in Chaldean Numerology is: 1

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of Tuatara in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

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References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=Tuatara
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Tuatara
3. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuatara
4. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
5. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=Tuatara