(Untitled)

[nosyparker]

According to a March 30th article from New Scientist, the tuatara, a New Zealand lizard sort of lizard-snake cross LET'S JUST SAY REPTILE, is the fastest-evolving animal known.

Comments

[mokele]

Actually, they're remnants of the lizard overlords; they used to be a much more diverse group, including the aquatic, scissor-jawed Pleurosaurus.

I should also note that many lizards have parietal eyes, iguanas being an excellent example.

[niiku]

Komodo dragons as well :3

[ginevra_alessa]

plus they are really, really cute! and kind of look like chinese water dragons <3

[kelsied]

"Probably the only reason they have not yet evolved into our terrifying lizard overlords (besides the fact that they were endangered for many years) is because they reproduce so slowly, taking 15 years to reach sexual maturity, with females producing eggs only every two to four years."

Do they only lay one egg at a time? Because otherwise, what you're saying here is that "the only reason they don't outnumber us is because they mature sexually at about the same time as humans and reproduce about as frequently as humans do."

If they hatch multiple eggs every two years, that logic really doesn't hold water.

[nosyparker]

How dare you poke holes in my completely serious, academically relevant, and not-joking-at-all throwaway explanation of why tuataras aren't ruling the world?!

[marukay_zeron]

*hails*

[voodooslur]

lol @ screamapillar