Tuatara ta-ra

["John Allen" <J.A.Allen@soton.ac.uk>]

As a result of their detailed analysis of the ultrastructure of the sperm of
_Sphenodon_, J.M. Healy and B.G.M. Jamieson (Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B, 1992,
335: 193-205) conclude that:

   "_Sphenodon_.... exhibits none of the advanced character states diagnostic of
the Squamata [lizards and snakes].  These data not only underscore the primitive
status of living tuatara (recently questioned in the literature) but also
militate against a close, sister-group relationship between the Sphenodontida
and Squamata."
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                  John Allen
                  Department of Biology
                  University of Southampton
                  Southampton SO16 7PX
                  UK

                  Tel 01703 594388
                  Fax 01703 594269
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