The living fossil is an animal that has survived beyond its era. Living Fossil is a organism which Keeps its Characters Unchanged around Millions of year Sphenodon punctatum is commonly known as Tuatara. Life span is up to 100 years or more.Sphenodon inhabits burrows made in the soft soil and in rocks. Terrestrial ,nocturnal, carnivorous and oviparous. Endemic to New Zealand. It consist of alimentary canal and associated digestive line. Alimentary canal is short and coiled which begins from mouth and finish with cloaca.

1. B Y : - DR . N A NDA J A GTAP
D U BSS C O LLAGE , D A POLI
Sphenodon – A Living
Fossil

2. Synopsis
1. Introduction
2. Classification
3. Habit & habitat
4. Morphological features
5. Anatomical features
6. Phylogeny
7. Economic Importance
8. Conclusion

3. Introduction
The living fossil is an animal that has survived
beyond its era.
Living Fossil is a organism which Keeps its
Characters Unchanged around Millions of year
 Sphenodon punctatum is commonly known as
Tuatara.
Life span is up to 100 years or more .

4. Classification
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Reptilia
Order Rhynchocephalia
Family Sphenodontidae
Genus Sphenodon

5. Habit & Habitat
 Sphenodon inhabits burrows made in the soft soil
and in rocks.
 Terrestrial ,nocturnal, carnivorous and oviparous.
Endemic to New Zealand.

6. Morphological features
 Tuatara is lizard-like reptile and measures about 60
CM in length

7. Anatomical Features
 Endoskeleton:-
- Vertebrae are amphicoelous with remnants of
notochord in the inter central spaces.
- Ribs are single headed, uncinate prosess.
- Skull is lizard-like but there is a complete lower
temporal arch.

8. Digestive system
• It consist of alimentary canal and associated
digestive line.
• Alimentary canal is short and coiled which begins
from mouth and finish with cloaca.

9. Respiratory System
 It includes respiratory tract and respiratory organ.
• Trachea is long ,elongated & it’s anterior part dilated
called larynx, supported by cricoid and arytenoids
cartilages
• It emits soft frog like croak.
• lungs are paired elongated fusiform thin walled
elastic sac.

10. Anatomy of Sphenodon

11. Blood Vascular System
 Blood vascular system is similar to lizard.
 Heart is triangular, red in color and partially 4
chambered muscular organ, two auricles and one
ventricle with incomplete septum .
 Sinus venous not easily distinguish externally.
 Jacobson’s organs in primitive form .

12. Nervous System
 Brain lies inside the cranial cavity covered by two
membranes , inner piamater and outer duramater.
Brain is divided into three regions namely
forebrain , midbrain and hindbrain.
 olfactory lobes are small and Cerebral hemisphere
larger in size.

13. Urinogenital System
Excretory and reproductive organs are closely
associated and forming urino genital system.
Paired metanephric kidney are elongated , dark red
flattened lying in posterior region of abdominal
cavity.

14. Phylogeny
Phylogeny means an evolutionary development and
diversification of a species or a group of an organism.
Primitive reptiles are originated from some primitive
amphibians in the beginning of Carboniferous
period.
No fossil specimen of Sphenodon has been found.
It is referred as a “Living Fossil”.

15. Economic Importance
 Tuatara is an extremely important component of
extant biodiversity
It has played a key role in phylogenetic analysis.
It is valuable for comparative studies of soft tissue
and behavior in lizard.
It is used as model organism.
It has appeared on stamps and 5 cent coin.

16. Conclusion
 There is no evolution therefore Sphenodon is
 on the way of extinction. Due to global worming,
their island habitat is becoming less.
 Conservation of Sphenodon has started by The
Government Of New Zealand.

17. References
1) Chordate Zoology Jordan and
Verma, Chand Publications.
2) Vertebrates Kotpal,
Rastogi publications.
3) www.google.coms

18. THANKYOU!