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Fiji Iguanas' 5,000-Mile Journey Redefines Vertebrate Origins

3/19/2025

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Summary

Story summary

A groundbreaking study by biologists from UC Berkeley and the University of San Francisco uncovers that Fiji iguanas made an astonishing 5,000-mile journey from North America on vegetation rafts over 34 million years ago. This remarkable feat marks the longest transoceanic dispersal of any land vertebrate, reshaping our understanding of their origins.

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Story summary

A groundbreaking study by biologists from UC Berkeley and the University of San Francisco uncovers that Fiji iguanas made an astonishing 5,000-mile journey from North America on vegetation rafts over 34 million years ago. This remarkable feat marks the longest transoceanic dispersal of any land vertebrate, reshaping our understanding of their origins.