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The genus Brachylophus consists of three extant iguanid species native to the islands of Fiji and Tonga in the South Pacific.
[edit] Etymology and taxonomyThe name, Brachylophus, is derived from two Greek words: brachys (βραχῦς) meaning "short" and lophos (λοφος) meaning "crest" or "plume", denoting the short spiny crests found along the backs of these species. Brachylophus are the most geographically isolated iguanas in the world. They are believed to have evolved from green iguanas that rafted across the Pacific Ocean from South America 13 million years ago.[1] The extant species are:
Brachylophus bulabula ('bula' is the Fijian word for 'hello') was discovered in the central regions of Fiji by a team lead by a scientist from the Australian National University. Detailed genetic and morphological analyses were made to conclude that B. bulabula represents a third species.[2] A giant species similar in size and build to an iguana of the genus Cyclura once existed but became extinct in prehistoric times due to persecution by humans and their domestic animals on Lifuka and Tongatapu.[3] [edit] Footnotes
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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