Research reveals that Fiji's iguanas might have ancestors that traveled over 4,970 miles across open ocean on floating vegetation mats. This extraordinary journey, potentially the longest known for a nonhuman vertebrate, raises questions about how reptiles adapt to challenging environments. Previously recognized in invertebrates, this 'rafting' phenomenon suggests small land creatures can utilize debris to reach islands. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reflects the unique adaptability of iguanas, and hints at future explorations of other species' migration patterns across oceanic distances.
The ancestors of Fiji's iguanas potentially crossed nearly 5,000 miles of open ocean on mats of floating vegetation, marking an extraordinary instance of animal rafting.
Rafting, a method of transportation for small creatures across oceans, suggests that iguanas and other lizards can survive long journeys due to their slower metabolism.
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