Raft riding iguanas provide evidence for the spread of land dwelling animals to islands and between continents. A study of green iguanas in the Caribbean islands found they arrived on the island of Anguilla following a particularly bad season of hurricanes and storms. The wild weather uprooted many trees and other vegetation and large rafts of this debris were swept across the sea between the islands. Local fisherman reported the arrival of a large mat of vegetation and noticed iguanas that had not previously lived on the island on the mat and on the beach. (Reported in Nature, Vol 395, p556, 8 Oct 98)
Editorial Comment: We are often asked how land dwelling animals were dispersed from the landing site of Noah’s ark to the ends of the earth. This study provides evidence for one way. (Ref. Iguanas, migration, post Flood)