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Figure 1 | A tuatara in New Zealand. Gemmell et al.4 have generated a high-quality genome sequence for the tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus).Credit: Pete Oxford/NPL
The tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus) is the last living member of the reptilian order Rhynchocephalia, which once roamed across the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana. The first genetic sequence of this iconic New Zealand animal reveals its crucial link to the now-extinct stem reptiles from which dinosaurs, modern reptiles, birds and mammals evolved. It also illuminates the tuatara’s unique biology, including its unusual longevity and combination of bird- and reptile-like features. The study sets a new standard for co-production: the work is a collaboration between genomicists and Ngātiwai, the Maori iwi (people) who have guardianship over the tuatara populations that were used. Geneticist Rebecca Johnson explores the findings in a Nature News & Views article.
Nature News & Views | 7 min read
Get up to speed quickly with first author Neil Gemmell’s Twitter thread about the paper.
Some scientists are worried that the National Science Foundation (NSF) has updated the guidance for its prestigious graduate-student fellowships to emphasize research in applied computational science. The NSF is the major US agency tasked with funding basic research. Critics fear that the focus on artificial intelligence, computationally intensive research and quantum information science will decrease money for fundamental science, which can struggle to attract funding from government and industry sources.
COVID-19 coronavirus update
Illustration by Ana Kova
Possible futures for the pandemic
Around the world, epidemiologists are constructing short- and long-term projections to prepare for, and potentially mitigate, the spread and impact of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Although their forecasts and timelines vary, modellers agree on two things: COVID-19 is here to stay, and the future depends on a lot of unknowns, including whether people develop lasting immunity to the virus, whether seasonality affects its spread and — perhaps most importantly — the choices made by governments and individuals. In some places, such as in the United States and Brazil, rapid rises in cases have modellers worried. Elsewhere, where lockdowns are easing, early evidence suggests that the ‘new normal’ of hand-washing and mask wearing is helping to stem second waves.
Source: Data from ref. 1, updated with authors’ estimates until 10 July 2020
Features & opinion
Six scientists and policy analysts share ways that individuals can help to save the world. They discuss the need to make emotionally restorative personal choices and emphasize the importance, where it is feasible, of pushing leaders to prioritize green policies. “Reducing your carbon footprint via climate-friendlier lifestyle choices is certainly important,” says climatologist Michael Man. “But the most important thing you can do is demand policy action and systematic change.”
Once-in-a-generation swarms of locusts are attacking crops in sub-Saharan Africa, and COVID-19 is threatening long-term disruption to food-supply chains. The United Nations has warned of famine on a scale that has not been seen in 50 years. Researchers must help to build agile, inclusive data collection and analysis to inform agricultural policy and avert disaster, argue global-development researcher Jaron Porciello and five colleagues.
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