Part 7/9:
The extinction event 65 million years ago, marked by a cataclysmic meteor strike, brought substantial ecological upheaval, resulting in the demise of numerous species while allowing the tuatara to survive. Its lower metabolic demands made it resilient to the subsequent scarcity of food and drastic temperature changes. Both the tuatara and the saltwater crocodile in Australia share this evolutionary trait, showcasing how smaller size and low metabolic rates acted as advantages during mass extinction crises.