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• In the first 2009 edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers published an article which details their study of a recently discovered species of iguana. The pink and black striped iguana was first spotted on the Galapagos island of Isabela in 1986, but the two-year study conducted by researchers led by Gabriele Gentile of the University of Rome Tor Vergata marks the first detailed analysis and description of the reptile.BBC News: Pink iguana rewrites family tree (January 5, 2009)

• Fast Facts

  1. Size: Up to three feet longLiveScience: Rare Pink Iguana Eluded Darwin and Others (January 5, 2009)
  2. Found only on the Volcan Wolf volcano on the island of IsabelaDaily Mail: Striking new pink iguana species found on Galapagos... (January 6, 2009)
  3. DNA evidence shows the species to be approximately 5.7 million years oldLiveScience: Rare Pink Iguana Eluded Darwin and Others (January 5, 2009)
  4. Defined as "Critically endangered" according to criteria of the International Union for Conservation of NatureDaily Mail: Striking new pink iguana species found on Galapagos... (January 6, 2009)
  5. Dubbed the rosada (Spanish for pink) iguana, although scientists haven't formally named or described the speciesIHT: Pink iguana is distinct in other ways too (January 6, 2009)
  6. 36 individuals were discovered and analyzed during the two-year studyBBC News: Pink iguana rewrites family tree (January 5, 2009)

• Quote

  "The pink iguana alters the current thinking about the origin of land iguanas from the Galapagos. It is the only remnant of an evolutionary lineage that originated from the land iguana lineage much earlier, about 5.7 million years ago, than the Pleistocene, which is when the rest of the present land iguanas started differentiating throughout the archipelago."—Author and researcher Gabriele GentileDiscovery News: Rare Pink Iguana Evaded Darwin (January 5, 2009)

• Related Pages on Mahalo

  Pet Iguanas | Galapagos Islands | Evolution | Charles Darwin

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