Turtles next to lizards on family tree, discovery based on microRNAs shows
Monday, July 25, 2011 - 12:30
in Biology & Nature
For decades, paleontologists and molecular biologists have disagreed about whether turtles are more closely related to birds and crocodiles or to lizards. Now scientists have developed a new technique using microRNAs for classifying animals, and the secret is out. Turtles are closer kin to lizards than crocodiles.