SpringerLink
Log in

Ancient DNA gives green light to Galápagos Land Iguana repatriation

  • Published:
Conservation Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Land Iguanas, Conolophus subcristatus,were extirpated from Isla Baltra, GalápagosArchipelago in the 1940s. Historical recordsindicate that some Baltra iguanas weretranslocated to nearby Isla Seymour Norte inthe 1930s. Plans to repatriate iguanas toBaltra were suspended when evidence suggestedthat iguanas on Seymour Norte may not beentirely of Baltra origin. Comparison of DNAfrom century-old museum specimens with extantiguanas has identified those individuals ofunambiguous Baltra origin on Seymour Norte. These results provide scientific criteria forthe ecological restoration of these endangeredreptiles.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
EUR 32.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or Ebook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Banning GH (1933) Hancock expedition to the Galapagos Islands, 1933. General report. Bull. Zool. Soc. San Diego, 10, 1–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cayot LJ, Menoscal R (1992) Land iguanas return to Baltra. Noticias de Galápagos, 51, 11–13.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoss M, Paabo S (1993) DNA extraction from Pleistocene bones by a silica-based purification method. Nucleic Acids Res., 21, 3913–3914.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rassman K (1996) The Molecular Evolution of the Galapagos Iguanas (Amblyrhynchus cristatus Bell, Conolophus subcristatus Gray and C. pallidus Heller. PhD dissertation, Universitat Bielefeld, Munich, Germany.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rassmann K, Tautz D, Trillmich F, Gliddon C (1997) The microevolution of the Galapagos marine iguanas (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) assessed by nuclear and mitochondrial genetic analyses. Mol. Ecol., 6, 437–452.

    Google Scholar 

  • Slevin JR (1931) Log of the schooner “Academy” on a voyage of scientific research to the Galapagos Islands 1905–1906. Occasional Papers of the California Academy of Sciences, 17, 1–162.

    Google Scholar 

  • Snell HL, Snell HM, Tracy, CR (1984) Variation among populations of the Galapagos Land Iguanas (Conolophus): Contrasts of phylogeny and ecology. Biol. J. Linn. Soc., 21, 185–207.

    Google Scholar 

  • Snell HM, Stone HL, Snell HL (1996) A summary of geographical characteristics of Galapagos Islands. J. Biogeogr., 23, 619–624.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stone AC, Stoneking M (1998) mtDNA analysis of a prehistoric Oneota population: Implications for the peopling of the new world. Am. J. Hum. Genet., 62, 53–1170.

    Google Scholar 

  • Woram JM (1991) Who killed the iguanas? Noticias de Galápagos, 50, 12–17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Woram JM (1992) The first iguana transfer. Noticias de Galápagos, 51, 20–22.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87131, USA

    Bruce V. Hofkin, April Wright, Jennifer Altenbach, Heidi M. Snell, Robert D. Miller & Howard L. Snell

  2. Institut für Genetik, Universität zu Köln, Weyertal 121, 50931, Köln, Germany

    Kornelia Rassmann

  3. Charles Darwin Research Station, Isla Santa Cruz, Galápagos, Ecuador

    Heidi M. Snell

  4. Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87131, USA

    Anne C. Stone

Authors
  1. Bruce V. Hofkin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. April Wright
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jennifer Altenbach
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Kornelia Rassmann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Heidi M. Snell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Robert D. Miller
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Anne C. Stone
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Howard L. Snell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Howard L. Snell.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hofkin, B.V., Wright, A., Altenbach, J. et al. Ancient DNA gives green light to Galápagos Land Iguana repatriation. Conservation Genetics 4, 105–108 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021843305792

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021843305792

Search

Navigation