Microlophus
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Microlophus is a genus of tropidurid lizards native to South America. Around 20 species are recognized and 10 of these are endemic to the Galápagos Islands,Template:Efn where they are commonly known as lava lizards[1][2] (they are sometimes placed in Tropidurus instead). The remaining, which often are called Pacific iguanas, are found in the Andes and along the Pacific coasts of Chile, Peru, and Ecuador.
The distribution of the lava lizards and their variations in shape, colour, and behaviour show the phenomenon of adaptive radiation so typical of the inhabitants of this archipelago. One species occurs on all the central and western islands, which were perhaps connected during periods of lower sea levels, while one species each occurs on six other more peripheral islands. All have most likely evolved from a single ancestral species. However, as usual for the Tropiduridae, they can change their colour individually to some extent, and members of the same species occurring in different habitats also show colour differences. Thus, animals living mainly on dark lava are darker than ones that live in lighter, sandy environments.
Evolution
Galápagos adaptive radiation
The genus Microlophus colonized the Galápagos archipelago on two separate occasions, both during the Pleistocene. Most of the Galápagos endemic species radiated from the first colonization event known as the Western radiation. Two species, M. bivittatus and M. habelii, radiated from the second colonization event, and are sister to the continental species M. occipitalis.[3][2]
Historically, the species M. albemarlensis was considered to occur on Isabela, Fernandina, Santiago, Santa Cruz, and Santa Fe islands. The species was later realized to actually be a species complex, and more recently, the Santiago, Santa Cruz, and Santa Fe populations have been given species status as M. jacobii, M. indefatigabilis, and M. barringtonensis, respectively. This restricts the range of M. albemarlensis to the Isabela and Fernandina islands.[2]
Species
Listed alphabetically by specific name.[4]
| Species | Common name | Distribution | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microlophus albemarlensis
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Galápagos lava lizard,
Isabela lava lizard |
Galápagos | File:Microlophus albemarlensis 263182087 (cropped).jpg |
| Microlophus arenarius
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Peru | ||
| Microlophus atacamensis
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Atacamen Pacific iguana | Chile | File:Microlophus atacamensis 450587895 (cropped).jpg |
| Microlophus barringtonensis
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Santa Fe lava lizard | Galápagos (Santa Fe) | File:Galápagos Lava Lizard 01 (cropped 2).jpg |
| Microlophus bivittatus
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San Cristóbal lava lizard | Galápagos (San Cristóbal) | File:Microlophus bivittatus 265188138 (cropped).jpg |
| Microlophus delanonis
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Española lava lizard,
Hood lava lizard |
Galápagos (Española) | File:Lava-espanola-male (cropped).jpg |
| Microlophus duncanensis
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Pinzón lava lizard | Galápagos (Pinzón) | |
| Microlophus grayii
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Floreana lava lizard | Galápagos (Floreana) | File:Microlophus grayii 557316286 (cropped).jpg |
| Microlophus habelii
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Marchena lava lizard | Galápagos (Marchena) | |
| Microlophus heterolepis
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Chile, Peru | ||
| Microlophus indefatigabilis
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Santa Cruz lava lizard | Galápagos (Santa Cruz) | File:Lagartija de lava de Galápagos (Microlophus albemarlensis), isla Santa Cruz, islas Galápagos, Ecuador, 2015-07-26, DD 37 (cropped).JPG |
| Microlophus jacobii
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Santiago lava lizard | Galápagos | File:Microlophus jacobii 466949736 (cropped).jpg |
| Microlophus koepckeorum
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Frost's iguana | Peru | File:Microlophus koepckeorum (cropped).jpg |
| Microlophus occipitalis
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knobbed Pacific iguana | Peru, Ecuador | File:Microlophus occipitalis02.jpg |
| Microlophus pacificus
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Pinta lava lizard,
common Pacific iguana |
Galápagos (Pinta) | File:Microlophus pacificus dorsal.jpg |
| Microlophus peruvianus
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Peru Pacific iguana | Ecuador, Peru, Chile | File:Microlophus peruvianus 186911161 (cropped).jpg |
| Microlophus quadrivittatus
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four-banded Pacific iguana | Peru, Chile | File:Microlophus quadrivittatus 356881193 (cropped).jpg |
| Microlophus slevini
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Slevin’s lava lizard | Galápagos (Gardner)[3] | |
| Microlophus tarapacensis
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Tarapaca Pacific iguana | Chile | |
| Microlophus theresiae
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Theresia's Pacific iguana | Peru | |
| Microlophus theresioides
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corredor de pica (in Spanish) | Chile | File:Microlophus theresioides 61091985 (cropped).jpg |
| Microlophus thoracicus
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Tschudi's Pacific iguana | Peru | File:Microlophus thoracicus 55164151.jpg |
| Microlophus tigris
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tiger Pacific iguana | Peru | File:Microlophus tigris 186024538 (cropped).jpg |
| Microlophus yanezi
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Yanez's lava lizard | Chile | File:Microlophus yanezi 471871006 (cropped).jpg |
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Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Microlophus.
References
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- ↑ Fitter, Julian; Fitter, Daniel; Hosking, David (2000). Wildlife of the Galalpagos. Updated Edition. Princeton University Press. p.94.
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- ↑ Microlophus. The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
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Further reading
- Duméril AMC, Bibron G (1837). Erpétologie générale ou Histoire naturelle complète des Reptiles. Tome quatrième [Volume 4]. Paris: Roret. ii + 571 pp. (Microlophus, new genus, pp. 334–335). (in French).