For decades, scientists have puzzled over how iguanas ended up in Fiji and Tonga, while all their relatives live in the Americas.
New Research Findings
- Study Published: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Lead Researcher: Simon G. Scarpetta (University of San Francisco)
- Theory: Iguana ancestors rafted on floating vegetation across the Pacific Ocean
The Epic Journey
- Distance Traveled: Nearly 8,000 km across open ocean
- Longest known ocean crossing by a non-human vertebrate
- Supports the idea that species can colonize remote islands via “rafting”
About Iguanas
- Belong to the lizard family Iguanidae
- 8 genera & ~30 species
- Native to Americas, Fiji & Tonga (mystery now explained!)
(Source: IE)
