News Life

Rare reptile holds clue to penis evolution

Like other reptiles and mammals, tuatara embryos start budding male genitalia — but then lose it

tuatara

LOST IT  Deep in the evolution of New Zealand’s lizardlike tuatara, adult males probably lost their ancestral phallus — a clue to the ancient history of the penis.

Sid Mosdell/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

By Susan Milius

- More than 2 years ago

A rare reptile is shedding light on the evolution of the penis — even though it doesn’t have one.