Iguana insularis (Iguanidae) from the southern Lesser Antilles: An endemic lineage endangered by hybridization

By

Breuil, Michel, 1959-
schikorski, david
vuillaume, barbara
Krauss, Ulrike
Daltry, Jennifer C.
Gaymes, glenroy
gaymes, joanne
Lepais, Olivier 1980-
Bech, Nicolas
Jelić, Mišel
becking, thomas
Grandjean, Frederic

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2022-2-17

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

1086

Pages

137--161

Subjects

Caribbean , Iguana insularis insularis , Iguana insularis sanctaluciae , Introgression , invasive alien species , microsatellites , ND4 , PAC

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1086.76079

 

Abstract

The newly described horned iguanaIguana insularisfrom the southern Lesser Antilles is separated in two easily recognized subspecies:I. insularis sanctaluciaefrom St. Lucia andI. insularis insularisfrom the Grenadines. Its former description is completed by the use of 38 new samples for genetic and morphological analysis. Seventeen microsatellites were used to estimate genetic diversity, population structure and the level of introgression with otherIguanaspecies over nearly the whole range of the species. ND4 and PAC sequences were also used to better characterize hybridization and to complete the description of this lineage. TheI. insularispopulation of St. Vincent shows a high level of introgression fromI. iguanawhereas in the Grenadines, most islands present pureinsularispopulations but several show evidence of introgressions. Of the two remaining populations ofI. insularis sanctaluciae, only one is still purebred. The recent identification of this and other distinct insular species and subspecies in the eastern Caribbean, and evaluation of where hybridization has occurred, are timely and important because the native iguanas are in urgent need of conservation action. Among the greatest threats is the ongoing human-mediated spread of invasive iguanas from Central and South America, which are destroying the endemic insular lineages through multiple diachronic introgression events.