Amblyrhynchus cristatus, or the Galápagos marine iguana, is currently the only species of marine lizard that exists in the world. Native to the Galápagos, this spiky, dark-colored iguana spends its days sunning on the rocky shores and diving down to eat algae. This study conducted by Kate A Berry, Juan Pablo Muñoz-Pérez, Cristina P Vintimilla-Palacios, and Christofer J Clemente looked into the morphology and locomotory performance of Amblyrhynchus cristatus and compared it to their mainland relatives, Ctenosaura similis, the black spiny-tailed iguana, and Iguana iguana, the green iguana. The results showed that morphological and locomotory variation was actually more noticeable between subspecies of marine iguana than between species of iguana in general. These results add another layer to our understanding of reptile speciation and how quickly these animals can adapt to life in new environments. This happens often in the Galápagos, but it always fascinates me how species can be so similar yet still so different from island to island.
Here is the link to the article for viewing:
https://academic.oup.com/biolinnean/article/133/1/68/6179141?login=true
1 comment:
In what ways did the three species vary from each other? Why might the various subspecies of marine iguana show so much variation?
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