Happy to share our most recent paper on the evolution of iguanian lizards: phylogenomics and biogeography of dragon lizards (agamids)!
New phylogenetic framework for the group, supermatrix timetree, and Laurasian origins
@systbiol.bsky.social
academic.oup.com/sysbio/advan...
Today we had Simon Scarpetta from USF delivering a talk here at EEB @princeton.edu on the technical and empirical challenges in sorting the phylogenomics and biogeography of iguanas...rafting over 8,000 km from North America to Fiji!
Ancient Iguanas Floated 5,000 Miles Across The Pacific | A Pregnant Icthyosaur Fossil
The Fijian iguanas are most closely related to the North American Desert Iguanas that we have in Southern California and Arizona and then into Northern Mexico. — Dr. Simon Scarpetta
Today on the podcast, ancient iguanas that boarded a natural raft and cruised from North America across the Pacific Ocean to Fiji. Plus, the fossil of a pregnant Ichthyosaur.
Listen here 🎧: pod.link/73329284/epi...
A recent study suggests that millions of years ago, iguanas in North America hitched a ride on a raft and cruised across the Pacific Ocean to Fiji. Dr. @simon-scarpetta.bsky.social joins us to discuss the reptiles’ adventure.
New paper with Michael Caldwell, Mike Lee, Tiago Simoes, Dalton Meyer, and Simon Scarpetta! In it, we respond to claims that †Cryptovaranoides is a squamate, and show that they are indefensible. t.co/MLjFcy5ivx
Hypothesized biogeographic scenarios for the colonization of Fiji by Brachylophus, occurrences of fossil iguanids (i.e., Pumilia, Armandisaurus, and Queironius), and distribution of modern iguanids. The world map is set at 34 Ma on a Robinson projection. The paleogeographic map data were assembled using the R package rgplates using the plate model from Müller et al. (52, 53).
And now for some good news: Iguanas rafted more than 8,000 km from North America to Fiji doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
A Brachylophus bulabula, commonly known as the central Fijian banded iguana, on Ovalau Island, Fiji. Image credit: Robert Fisher, USGS
How did iguanas reach the remote islands of Fiji? A new study reveals that Fijian iguanas rafted over 8,000 km from North America during the Paleogene, marking the longest documented transoceanic dispersal in terrestrial vertebrates.
In @SciAm: www.scientificamerican.com/article/fiji...
In this issue: Long-distance origin of Fijian iguanas, grass-fed and industrial beef carbon-intensiveness, and Neolithic pig husbandry in Northwest Europe. www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Iguanas rafting 8000 km represents the longest documented transoceanic dispersal event (i.e. vagrancy event) in a terrestrial vertebrate
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/... 🌎
S.G Scarpetta, R.N Fisher, B.R Karin, J.B Niukula, A. Corl, T.R Jackman & Jimmy A McGuire (2025)
Iguanas rafted more than 8,000 km from North America to Fiji.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 122(12): e2318622122
doi: doi.org/10.1073/pnas...
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
I always love covering Herps, especially lizards! Big thanks to @simon-scarpetta.bsky.social for telling me more about his team's paper and Christina De Jesús Villanueva for adding some context to the findings!
As always, it was great to work with @andreatweather.bsky.social!
Why did the iguana cross the ocean? To get to Fiji!
A new paper finds that the ancestors of Fijian iguanas split from their North American relatives more than 30 million years ago and floated 5,000 miles to Fiji!🦎
My latest for @sciam.bsky.social: www.scientificamerican.com/article/fiji...
