Tuatara, Aotearoa's surviving remnant from the age of dinosaurs, are not noted for their speed. But new research has turned up one surprisingly swift aspect of their anatomy - their speedy sperm.
Despite massive conservation efforts, much about tuatara reproduction remains unknown.
For the first time, researchers have been studying, the live, mature sperm from a tuatara.
Te Herenga Waka-Victoria University of Wellington PhD candidate Sarah Lamar says the research is seeking to understand what a good quality male tuatara is - in a biological sense.
She spoke to Corin Dann.
