Tuatara genome sheds light on disease resistance, long life

The same man who went looking for the Loch Ness monster has now led a study that reveals the inner fabric of New Zealand's most famous Jurassic survivor - the tuatara. Two years ago, Neil Gemmell from the University of Otago collated a list of all life in Loch Ness in an effort to see if there was scientific evidence for the infamous monster and concluded it may be a giant eel. At the same time, he was working with a team of scientists from around the world to sequence the genome of the ancient reptile, using DNA from a tuatara on Lady Alice Island in Northland, with the blessing of Ngati Wai iwi. The findings shed light on the make-up of the species including its ultra low body temperature, its uncanny resistance to disease, and why it lives so long. Distinguished Professor Neil Gemmell spoke to our environment reporter Rachel Thomas on what it all means.