Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery about how Fijian iguanas ended up on two islands in the South Pacific. The reptiles somehow managed to make an ocean crossing millions of years ago, crossing nearly 4,970 miles of open ocean.
According to Dr. Simon G. Scarpetta and his team, the ancestors of Fiji’s iguanas crossed the ocean on mats of floating vegetation. This journey would have been one of the longest known by a nonhuman vertebrate.
Research suggests that the ancient iguana species were adapted to making short-distance crossings, but this particular trip was almost unimaginable. However, genetic evidence and analysis indicate that North America is the most probable area of origin for Fijian iguanas, and rafting on vegetation is the best-supported mechanism.
A three- to four-month crossing would have been within the length of the Dipsosaurus winter hibernation, allowing the lizards to survive without starving. The herbivorous reptiles may even have had food on their journey.
This study adds to a growing body of research that suggests long-distance dispersal is more important in the evolutionary history of many animal groups than previously thought.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/17/science/iguanas-fiji-rafting.html