Answer: The tuatara is a lizard-like reptile found only in New Zealand today, the last surviving lineage of a large group of reptiles that were contemporaries of the dinosaurs.
The traits that would i expect the tuatara to possess are:
- Spiny back similar to that of dinosaurs.
- A well developed pineal eye.
- It lacks a copulatory organ.
- Spine-like vertebrae with intercenters.
- Anterior teeth, large and very sharp.
Step-by-step explanation:
Living fossil is an expression used to qualify non-extinct species that are extremely similar to species identified only through fossils.
A pineal eye is a part of the epithalamus present in some animal species. The eye can be a photoreceptor and is commonly associated with the pineal gland, regulating the circadian rhythm and hormonal production for thermoregulation. The tuatara has a developed parietal eye, with retina and lens.